What's all the fuss?

Rating: 6/10 (20 September 2007)

I watched the Bourne Ultimatum. Actually, I was hoping for a bit of Daniel Brühl, and that's all I got. Why bother hiring a brilliant up-and-coming young actor like this and then not give him any screen time? The movie itself was okay--pretty standard spy vs. spy stuff. What bothered me was the camera work. Can't anybody in Hollywood hold a camera steady these days? The cuts were so quick, you couldn't really make out what you were watching half the time. I guess that's the point; the loss of detail covers a multitude of sins and is a special boon to the stunt-persons, who can step in and out of the action practically without being observed. Just turn the sound effects up and no one's the wiser. That being said, I did enjoy parts of the movie. Matt Damon is very effective when he doesn't have to act (think of his Thespian turn in last year's The Good Shepherd). Julia Stiles had the best moment in the film, when she finds a reason to smile. The villains were interesting, especially the hit men, all of whom, like Brühl, deserved more screen time. So, I liked the film; I just don't understand why critics think it's the second coming of the spy genre. Producers, please note: three Bournes were at least two too many. That well is now officially dry.