Excellent spy thriller

Rating: 8/10 (21 August 2010)

The strength of The Bourne Identity is that the audience is in exactly the same position as Matt Damon's Jason Bourne throughout the movie - in complete ignorance as to exactly who Bourne is, but quietly desperate to find out. We, however, are given more information than he is, because we are given occasional glimpses into the operations of the shadowy organisation for which Bourne works, in the persons of Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, and Julia Styles.
This film powers along, delivering exposition, paranoia, action and excitement for its entire running length. Matt Damn is an excellent lead: he has a powerful physical presence in the action sequences, but he also conveys the low key distress of someone who is disturbed at discovering what he is capable of. Franka Potente is a believable companion, sucked into circumstances beyond her comprehension.
The script is good, making a simple story into something highly textured, and the film as a whole is two hours of gripping fast-paced entertainment, a cut above the usual standard for this type of movie.