Review
Review Date: 16-June-02
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Juicy
The Bourne Identity (2002)
In general, I pick a movie (and rate it afterwards) based on three things: the story, the style, and the cast. I think movies can get by on the strength of just the story (the emotional wallop it carries, the things it makes you contemplate) or just the style (the atmosphere created, the visual flair), but I don't think even the finest cast can carry a movie on its own. That said, I have to admit that the only reason I was interested in seeing "The Bourne Identity" is because of the fine and compelling group of actors I saw in the preview. And while I must say that most of the cast didn't have all that much to say or do in this film, I am happy to report that the other elements came through and saved the day. (Well, the two hours I spent at the theater, anyway.)
The movie concerns young CIA agent Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), who is pulled out of the Mediterranean with no identification and no memory of who he is. Following a lead provided by an electronic device implanted in his hip (this is a spy thriller, after all), Bourne heads to Zurich, where he begins to discover his identity and hires a down-on-her-luck woman, Marie (Franka Potente), to drive him to Paris. The events that follow are, for the most part, nicely staged and paced, as Bourne and Marie try to determine who and what he is while staying one step ahead of the CIA agents who are tracking him down. (It's interesting that while Ben Affleck is burning up the box office as a noble CIA agent in "The Sum of All Fears," this movie portrays the CIA as a smarmy, underhanded group of assassins who don't seem to have any motivation other than getting the job done — whatever it is.)
The attractive cast, which also includes Brian Cox and Chris Cooper as CIA management and Clive Owen and Julia Stiles as field operatives, does acquit itself nicely, although the parts given to Owen and Stiles are surprisingly marginal for such rising talents. The very likable Potente enjoys a nice chemistry with Damon, and while I've become bored with the fact that romance must ensue every time a man and woman are thrown together in the movies, I still appreciated that each character seemed to provide what the other was missing.
Matt Damon is surely one of the most undervalued actors around, and it feels a bit like slumming to find him in what is, basically, a familiar story of pursuit and espionage. Still, one can see why he was chosen; his aw-shucks, apple pie face begs us to accept that Bourne, a professional murderer, deserves a new life and the kindness of strangers. Damon backs up this appeal with another believable performance as a man who has learned to be confident and brave and efficient, but who wakes up and suddenly fears for his soul. Despite the fighting and the car chase and the inevitable shoot-out at the end, this seems to be the heart of the matter, suggested by the pun in the movie's title. While the CIA or other forces may be able to train and manipulate a man to determine what he DOES, no amount of drilling or indoctrination or brainwashing can fully determine what he IS. Under the right circumstances, the (inner) truth will out. In a world where most everybody seems to define his or her self based on a nationality or religion or political group, sometimes to the point of fanaticism, this is an intriguing notion.
The real highlights of the film, however, are director Doug Liman's cool, sharp visual style and the way he keeps a tight rein on the action, using it to move the film along without overwhelming the story and atmosphere. There is a sort of sophisticated, claustrophobic feel to the movie, which is enjoyable to absorb: the characters root out life and death in close, underlit rooms; the European locations provide a vaguely exotic flavor; and nearly every scene is dominated by a gorgeous shade of blue, provided either by a prop (someone's jacket), the scenery (a twilight sky), or a camera filter. The effect is a distinctive world which is hemmed in and dangerous, but also exciting and potentially beautiful — rather like Bourne himself.
Copyright © 2002 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.
