The Bourne Identity

I have grown extremely tired of the typical formula spy film like Bond, or the juvenile stunt exhibition "Triple X." There have been a bare handful of spy films that feature relatively realistic spy thrillers, especially recently with a concentration on spectacular movies that have less substance than cotton candy.

Besides "The Bourne Identity," "Ronin" is the only other recent spy movie I can think of that didn't feature skydiving, bungie jumping, skiing downhill while shooting innumerable bad guys, laser pens, cars with ejection seats, or silicone breasted women with names you'd be vaguely embarrassed to say in front of your mother. Most of the crap that passes for an espionage film has no plot or reason for existing other than to meet a quota of explosions and cleavage in order to draw the summer action film crowd.

While "Bourne" does not have a particularly deep plot, it is consistent and focused. The focus is entirely upon Bourne and how he is to deal with having no memory of his past, being hunted without knowing why. Some people have complained about being confused by the movie. I for one, do not need to have everything spelled out since in many cases this smacks of unreality in the first place; the essence of espionage is drawing conclusions from very sketchy information. If you can't handle a little of that, you probably should stick to Disney films or TV's Scooby Doo where everything is explained in the end. We never find out about what is in the case in "Ronin" and I can live without some information being filled in about Bourne's past.

To those who have moaned about the incompatibility of the book and the movie, seek help. There are probably several things that work in the book that would either be boring and take too much screen time to explain, or would be viewed as cliche to modern screen audiences. As I remember, I liked the book, and I definitely like this movie. I view any movie adaptation as an interpretation of the book rather than a translation from words to pictures anyway.

As for realism, most of the action scenes are believable, no super-gadgets are to be seen, no incredibly lovely models fall madly in bed with Bourne, and the hero shows definite signs of physical vulnerability despite a very high level of training and competance. As someone who has trained in martial arts for over 10 years, unrealistic fight scenes are a pet peeve. The fights in "Bourne" are fast, nasty, and very realistic while still being entertaining for the layman. (And yes, taking a gun away from some idiot who is standing well within your striking radius without getting shot is definitely doable, though I had serious doubts until we tested it for ourselves with plastic dart guns in the dojo several years ago).

While not being perfect, "The Bourne Identity" is, simply put, several grades above the typical spy film. Being focused on an individual level rather than involving itself huge political ramifications lends it another layer of respectability rather than detracting from it as some comments have implied since it remains a human problem on a comprehensible scale. The mysteries that are left are bigger mysteries for Bourne than us, and I think should be viewed as intentional omissions rather than loose ends. The implausibilities are kept to a minimum and the realism to as high a level as possible while still being spectacular enough to meet the expectations of the genre.

Next to Ronin, this is one of the best action / spy movies that I've ever seen. I heard a lot of good critics, but didn't know what to think about it. I only saw it 2 years after it first appeared and I'm a little disappointed that I didn't go watch it in the cinema.

I'm not too keen on movies like James Bond and other stuff in this genre, but this one is a lot better. Normally you see the "super hero" using all kinds of weird gadgets, driving extremely fast sports cars and sleeping with ladies who look more like prostitutes than being normal women.

Jason Bourne however doesn't have all this things, which makes this movie a lot more realistic. The fights are fast and very realistic but still entertaining. The action scenes are believable, no super-gadgets, no incredibly willing women sharing his bed... Our hero even shows definite signs of physical vulnerability despite a very high level of training and competence. In the meanwhile he has to deal with amnesia, while being hunted without knowing why. In the end this is still a man which you can identify yourself with.

I would say: Go watch it when you are a fan of movies like Ronin, don't watch it if you think James Bond is a person who you can bump into on the streets when going out. Personally I would award this movie with an 8/10.

This story has been done several times in the past, most recently in "A Long Kiss Goodnight". It's also true that Doug Liman and the producers created their own Jason Bourne mythology,since this movie is different in many ways to the book. But the truth is Liman takes an old story and puts a new fast paced spin on it.

Matt Damon stars as the enigmatic assassin who just wants to figure out who he is. As he travels from city to city he's followed by CIA agents who want to dispose of him to save their own jobs. He's helped along the way by Marie played by the brilliant Franka Potente. Together they come face to face with the people that want them dead.

The cast is great and so is the story. This film should be on everyone's top ten list.

I enjoyed this. It had been one of those movies I had heard about but had never gotten around to. There are times when it seems that Matt Damon is such a cold fish (ala The Good Shepherd), that one has trouble getting connected to him. In this film he is really believable as a man who has all the training of a killing machine, but a soft side that bears exploring. The character is put into situations he can't understand but can only react to. He has compassion but little understanding. What an interesting role. If there's a shortcoming, it's that the motivations of the bad folks aren't all that clear. It's still a delight to watch his relationship with his I-only- need-a-ride partner develop. There is a level of subtlety that most films of this type don't have. The car chases are spectacular but, for once, they backed down on the pyrotechnics. I appreciated this.

Not that there is any bias intended against the spy film genre, far from it. Nor with films that contain a good deal, or a lot, of action. There are some good, very good even, ones out there. There are also however ones that are too derivative, are basically style over substance (a few not even executing the style particularly well) and favour can-see-it-coming "thrills" and "twists" and bombastic action over telling a good story.

What a pleasant surprise that 'The Bourne Identity' turned out to be. Had heard next to nothing but good things about the Bourne films and had been meaning to check them out for a while, while worrying as to whether they'd be my cup of tea or not. 'The Bourne Identity' not only does what it set out to do very well, with lots of fun and intrigue, but it is also a film that has a brain and respects its audience. It clearly knew what it wanted to be and who to aim it at.

Sure, the basic story is not exactly original, occasionally there is a little routine-ness. This doesn't really matter all that much though, because 'The Bourne Identity' succeeded in giving the genre a considerable freshness on the whole. It does lose its way a little towards the end, when things do become a little too cliché and some things could have been explained better and felt less confused. While still doing a good job, Clive Owen did deserve more to do than what he got, a come and go character that disappears too quickly and early.

However, visually 'The Bourne Identity' is very slick and stylish, special effects very wisely kept at minimum. Am not always a fan of the camera technique used here but here it added to the intensity and didn't feel that excessive or abused, certainly didn't look amateurish either. A reasonably dynamic soundtrack and authentic sound quality helps too, as does astute direction that keeps everything moving along with confidence.

'The Bourne Identity' contains a sharp and well written script that provokes thought, with nothing being confused, rambling or cheesy. The story for much of the length is exciting and has a considerable freshness that is really refreshing. The pacing is relentless, while avoiding the traps of being too hectic or being dull, neither of which it ever is. The action is very well choreographed, confidently performed and keeps one on the edge of their seat.

Matt Damon carries the title role with ease, and Franka Potente provides gutsy support, their chemistry to me was believable. Chris Cooper is fun, and while a little too briefly utilised Clive Owen and Brian Cox both do very good jobs.

In summary, surprisingly good and entertaining and a very good start to the Bourne films. 8/10 Bethany Cox