Top notch indie film crew storms the Hollywood action flick citadel

Rating: 10/10 (1 August 2004)

This is one of the best action films made in the last ten years. It is the result of a charming and unlikely convergence of capable indie film players. Doug Liman ("Swingers," "Go") decided that for his third film he wanted to tackle "The Bourne Identity" With Liman at the Helm, Matt Damon signed onto a movie that he otherwise would not have been interested in. The two of them convinced the studio to cast Franka Potente (well known German actress from "Run Lola Run) as the female lead even though she was not widely known to American audiences. Add Chris Cooper, Julia Stiles, and Clive Owen, all respectable actors but not glamorous hollywood stars, and you've got talent everywhere you look in a genre that is usually defined by cookie-cutter plots, fluff acting, and over-the-top direction (think: Mission Impossible 2). Most of the film is shot on location in Paris, and Damon even does all of his own stunts.
All of this really shows. This is a mentally engaging film that doesn't spoonfeed you an imbecilic plot. It is character driven, focusing on Damon and Potente's reactions to an intrigue in which they are increasingly entangled, while the intrigue itself is secondary but solidly put together. It features one of the better car chases in film in recent years (which features an old "Mini," as opposed to the boring BMW commercial in "The Italian Job"). No slow motion or shaky cam, just quick, well shot action sequences. Also, the screenwriters did a great job updating the plot from the novel, which was published in 1980 (the same is not true of "The Sum of All Fears," another movie released in 2002 but based on a novel from the mid 80s). The Bourne Identity is entertaining from start to finish. 9/10