Low Key Espionage, High Intensity Film

Rating: 8/10 (24 July 2004)

Having not seen The Bourne Identity, I entered the theatre to view its sequel with some trepidation. I knew the basics of the series, and the second film reintroduces the key plot information succintly. The plot of The Bourne Supremacy is deceptively simple, although it appears muddled at times during the film. I'm told that the plot of the movie has little relation to Robert Ludlum's book of the same name, but that doesn't matter to me as I have not read the book. Matt Damon is quite effective as Jason Bourne/David Webb, and his low key portrayal sets him apart from flashier spies. The other key performances are from Brian Cox and Joan Allen, both of whom are very good. Julia Stiles has a small role as well, although I'm ambivalent about her as an actress. My main complaint relates to director Paul Greenglass, whose hyperkinetic editing combines with the heavy use of handheld cameras to make the film jarringly difficult to watch at times.