 |
| Home · Reviews · Interviews · Contests · Forums · Video Player |
  
|
by Jennifer Alpeche Published: February 13, 2003
Jason Bourne can do it all but he doesn’t know why. The pursuit of a true identity is the premise of “The Bourne Identity,” the first in a series of films based on Robert Ludlum’s best-selling espionage novels. Matt Damon is Jason Bourne and yep, this is his first step into the world of action and he does a fine job. I found his character much more smooth than say, James Bond. But then again, I never got the charm of Bond so maybe I’m biased. As said, Bourne doesn’t know who he is. The film opens with him floating in the sea, picked up by a fishing boat. Thought to be dead, he turns out not to be, and once revived and living with the fishermen aboard the boat, some strange knowledge begins to seep back into his daily life. He can speak several languages. He has wicked martial arts skills. He can take care of himself with style. All this he can do without memory of who he is. But there's a clue: a capsule extracted from him after he was pulled from the water. It's the code for a Swiss bank account. Perhaps there he would find his answer. In a red bag, he finds several passports. Loads of cash. He’s cornered but escapes. Now where? Why are people following him? How does he know what to do? He finds that his last address was in Paris, France, and so he recruits a young woman named Marie (Franka Potente) to drive him there for $10,000. In need of money, she agrees -- though uneasy all the same. Who’s Bourne? A superspy. An assassin. And finally a target himself, now that he threatens the program he was once a part of. Sent to pursue him are other assassins just like him, controlled to fulfill their purpose. No questions asked. His main pursuer is The Professor (Clive Owen). With all of the car chases, hand-to-hand fights, helicopters, alleyways, and spy technology, “The Bourne Identity” is quite straightforward. A story about a man who has no memory, and who does all he can to reclaim it. When it turns out his past is a shady one, he cannot stop. He must push on, push forward, in order to survive today. Marie helps him and naturally, they fall in love. But can they be happy? Does she know him? Who does she fall for? “The Bourne Identity” is packaged nicely -- though simple with not a whole lot of extras. One would think that a superspy film like this might have a few more bells and whistles, but it doesn’t. Available in widescreen and full-screen formats, the film looks good on the small screen. Although it does have a lot of action, there’s plenty of conversation as well and quiet moments in a car, on a train, or in the middle of a crowded Parisian square work well. Bourne and Marie often talk in hushed voices, creating an intimate feel until the next car chase or explosion occurs. In his feature commentary, director Doug Liman comments on various aspects of filmmaking, from locations and stunts to the actors and scripts. Coming from an independent-film background (“Swingers” and “Go”), Liman brought a bit of edge to the project. A different vision, which was partly why Matt Damon agreed to star. Liman discusses some of the differences between an indepedent and studio film. One being that stars such as Matt Damon are recognized by fans and thus, filming outdoors presents a new challenge. Another difference is that with a studio film, there's a better chance that the actors you envision might say yes, such as Chris Cooper and Brian Cox. He also talks about digital effects and how they took Robert Ludlum’s novel and modernized it to reflect present times, as well as Liman’s own political views. Though he did not want to create a film that would be all about his politics, it was important that he include some nonetheless. As he points out, it’s there if we wish to recognize it, but it’s also presented in a way that doesn’t distract us from the story. Sometimes he doesn’t speak at all. There are times when he pauses and simply watches his film with us. An example is at around 102 minutes, where Bourne prepares Marie for her undercover misson at the Regina Hotel. The scene plays out, and Liman speaks up again at 106:30 or so. It’s interesting to hear about the background of the film’s development, the problems they had shooting certain scenes, the weather, the actors. He comments on the pacing of the film and certain visual clues we may have overlooked, such as Bourne’s disappearing act. It’s a basic commentary. Also included on the disc is an alternate ending that really wouldn’t have worked. And Liman makes note of this at the end of his commentary. Although he does not directly say that the alternate ending would’ve been off, his comments about what they wanted to capture in the ending contrasted greatly with what is seen in the alternate. I’m glad it wasn’t used because it would have seemed to go against everything they were trying to achieve with their new, updated, modernized spy thriller. We get four deleted scenes, plus an extended verision of the farmhous scene. Check out the theatrical trailer, production notes - nine pages in all, and the cast and filmmakers’ bios and filmographies. Standard extras, including a 14-minute feature on the making of “The Bourne Identity” and a music video by Moby for “Extreme Ways.” “The Bourne Identity” is an entertaining, fast-paced thriller centered on one man dealing with an unknown past and the walls around him closing in. He realizes that to be free in this life, he had to cut ties with his past. Disappear again as it were, but this time -- on his terms. Matt Damon is impressive as the amnesiac assassin and Franka Potente is as well as the not-typical girl who needs to be saved. The supporting cast was also fine, especially Clive Owen, who just has that face. Guess that’s why he starred in those BMW short films. Now on DVD, “The Bourne Identity” can be watched with a closer eye for those visual clues Liman spoke of. It's a good two hours of sleek action and fun, and remember, it’s the first installment of the "Bourne" spy franchise. Now why would I know that? -- Jason Bourne, “The Bourne Identity” Overall Rating: B for the film, B for the DVD. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 1997-2013 Burlee LLC. All rights reserved. | Reprints | Privacy Policy | Disclosure | About Us/Contact Us | RSS Feed |
