Stellar work, all around

Rating: 10/10 (26 July 2004)

I won't bore anyone w/ plot specifics - those are easy enough to find. From a critical perspective, just about everything in this film is top notch. Matt Damon continues his good work from the first film with a restrained but well defined performance as a man skirting the edges of his humanity. The plot forces his character to draw from both his background as a killing machine and his budding life as a (somewhat) everyday Joe. While the former clearly takes precedence, the latter drives Jason Bourne's decisions - and gives the film its emotional core.
Joan Allen and Brian Cox do a great job in their strong supporting roles, playing a sort of yin/yang of modern vs. old school CIA. Effective in smaller roles are Franka Potente, Julia Stiles and Karl Urban, who plays Bourne's Soviet superagent equal. The writing is effective - everything is quick and to the point - no wasted air here.
As for technical work - the stunts could not have been better. The film culminates in one of the best chase scenes put to film. The photography is gritty, helped certainly by the harsh whites of the overcast sky throughout the Europe depicted in the film. The direction seems to have received a lot of space in reviews. I think Paul Greengrass has a fantastic idea in trying to engage the audience through Jason Bourne's eyes. It's an absolutely visceral experience, and while Greengrass does go a bit overboard with the camera movement and editing, the pace of the film is resultantly so frenetic that one almost leaves the film breathless. Many people will have a difficult time with the style - I applaud the effort and while a few more establishing shots would've been nice, I think the general effect was successful. Go in warned, however - this is not one to experience from the first 5 rows.
While The Bourne Identity had a freshness and gee whiz quality to it, this second installment takes a darker, more brutal path. This film doesn't have a lot of underlying happiness. Still, what emotion it does contain is well placed. All around, a very satisfying thriller. Kudos to the filmmakers for pulling off what I believe is a better 2nd chapter in the Bourne trilogy.