Genres

Visitors Review

Jackson Booth-Millard 2012-05-25 05:26:01

The Bourne Identity

I have always been a fan of action films, and this is a verysophisticated one from director Doug Liman. Basically, on a stormynight a young man (Matt Damon) is pulled out of the Mediterranean Seaby a fishing boat crew, and a curious fisherman pulls out two bulletsand miniature laser, with a Swiss bank account number, from his back.The young man is now wanting to know who he is, going to this bankaccount in Zurich, he finds his identification as Jason Bourne, butalso underneath the cover he finds more passports with fake names,money, and a gun! He is now following all the clues he has, and withthe help of to-be love interest Marie Helena Kreutz (Creep's FrankaPotente), they are trying to find out exactly what he did before losinghis memory, and escaping the attack of the unknown agency assassins.Obviously we - the audience - know that bad guys, led by AlexanderConklin (Chris Cooper), with help from Ward Abbott (Brian Cox) are anorganisation called Treadstone, a secret agency specialising in secretagents. Jason in the end finds out he was one of these agents, with the"fateful" mission being to kill politician Wombosi (Lost's AdewaleAkinnuoye-Agbaje), before he and Marie go into hiding. Also starringThe Professor (Clive Owen), Gabriel Mann as Zorn and Julia Stiles asNicolette. The acting, especially from Damon is great, the song"Extreme Ways" by Moby is cool, the action and chase sequences areexhilarating, it is just an intelligent and energetic film. Very good!

Kelly Smallwood 2012-05-24 18:33:31

Film Review

The Bourne Identity (2002) is a fast-paced, action packed, mysteryfilm. Based on a man trying to find his true identity after an Italianfishing boat crew found his body floating at sea after being shot, andbarely clinging to life. Once the man awakens and recovers from thenear death experience, he seems to have forgotten everything abouthimself, including his name. One clue, the number to a Swiss bankaccount. While visiting the bank, he finds numerous passports allbelonging to him under different identities, the identity he assumes isthat of Jason Bourne. After finding his identity Jason Bourne (Damon)and leaving the bank Bourne asks a women for a ride. Refusing hisrequest she is forced to reconsider once Bourne offers a large paymentin cash. Finally convincing Marie (Potente) to drive him, the twotravel together in search of all the clues to his past, but not withoutmultiple problems and attempts from assassins to end their lives.Lighting throughout the film has a dark effect to it, even throughoutthe daytime scenes. Based in the winter, the snow slightly brightensthe scenes throughout the daytime shots, but the lighting is neverbright until the ending scene when Marie and Bourne reunite in Greece.The darkness of the movies follows the darkness of Jason Bourne, fromnot knowing his identity to learning of his occupation, Darknessfollows Bourne. The cinematic point of view throughout most of the filmthat the director chose to use is indirect-subjective. We are close tothe action enough to get an emotional effect from the scenes. In thescene where Bourne and Marie reunite the director uses a subjectivepoint of view, switching between the eyes of Jason Bourne and Marie asthe looks at one another.While The Bourne Identity is based mostly on action, drama, andmystery, the writers added in some romance between Jason Bourne andMarie. Reluctant in the beginning to give Bourne a ride to hisdestination, she travels with him and the two share a moment in a lovescene. Again the film turns to a bit of romance when Bourne arrives atMarie's scooter shop in Greece.

Amberesque 2012-05-16 11:12:49

IDENTITY KNOCKOUT

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!The opening scene accurately portrays the darkness that enshrouds thesecretive and veiled identity of the character that has been discovered inmysterious circumstances, floating in the sea, having been left for dead.[Cue the haunting overture]He would've been invisible in the water if it weren't for the flashingdistress light on his wet suit. [Watch out for scenes in the film wherethecamera pans across, making it seem as though the character just disappears-- you'll understand the importance of the ability of this character beinginvisible as the plot unravels]Although passing fishermen come to his aid, when he regains consciousnessthe character finds he's still in the dark regarding his sense of self.He has retrograde amnesia, and is frustrated trying to find the trigger heneeds to tap into the temporarily unavailable memory file that stores histrue identity.A series of turbulent events occur that provide invaluable pieces of thejigsaw, but it becomes increasingly evident that the puzzle is far morecomplex and intricately interwoven than first thought.As he gets closer to finding out more about his assumed identity, JasonBourne, it appears as if the character is as cold and calculating as theantagonists he's up against, but we later find out that battling with hisconscience was the deep-seated root of his problems.Having weathered the tempestuous storm (locked horn battles with Biro pensat the ready, perfectly illustrating that the pen is mightier than thesword, and a nail-biting car chase), Bourne finally gets to step out oftheshadows and into the welcoming, reassuring sunlight -- signalling an endtothe dark and dreary tunnel he had to travel in an attempt to discoverexactly who he was.Honestly, he does travel in a darkened tunnel (not just me beingoverzealouswith the cliché), and on a train that from the front uncannily resemblesK9-- for those of you who don't know who or, more specifically, what K9 is,then don't worry -- I'm just showing my age.***In my opinion, this is a really cool film that I would wholeheartedlyrecommend to watch. It's action-packed in a realistic way (and thankfullynever stoops as low as the murky depths of being OTT), and also manages toadd spice with a hint of romance simmering away gently in thebackground.Personally, I like the alternative way of travelling downstairs withoutactually using the stairs or sliding down the banisters (but as alwaysfolks, don't try it at home -- or else your neighbours will be reallycheesed and with no tomato sauce effects, real blood is just too messy --trust me!)Also, it's not just Jason Bourne who has the potential to disappear --herein the UK, that red bag would've done a disappearing act well before Jasongot the chance to reach the bottom of the building [and the likelihood ofthe CCTV being switched on would be negligible -- ok, so hands up -- isthatthe cynicism police I see before me?]. A new slant on the film, withBournechasing after the thief, (who, for obvious reasons, couldn't be calledAmy),with the possibility of ending up in a desert valley bordering ECaliforniaand W Nevada (where Bourne finally meets up with his long-lost buddycalledGerry AlaCasey), could for all intents and purposes be aptly titled, Run(the fcUK) Jason Run. Ok, perhaps not!

2012-05-15 18:08:00

Loved it.

This review is from: The Bourne Identity (Full Screen Collector's Edition) (DVD) Great movie. Learning about the hero as he learns about himself makes it far more interesting than the average movie.

MLDinTN 2012-05-05 18:34:02

Slow plot but good fight scenes

I really like the fight scenes with Matt Damon. He shows some really coolmoves as a trained assassin. The story was OK, but it does drag in parts.And I really didn't like the lead actress. I don't think she and Damon hadmuch chemistry and they didn't do a lot together, so I didn't buy themfalling in love on their short adventure together. The car chase scene wasOK, but there just wasn't anything special about it. Plus, we knew Damonwould get away at the end since it was in the middle of the movie. Ofcourse, it does have some things that don't make sense. Like why bothertrying to kill Jason Borne if he has no memory of what he did. And thenthey let him go in the end. Why not finish the job? Plus what was going onat the CIA never made much sense.FINAL VERDICT: The best part of this movie is the hot Matt Damon. Too badhe didn't have several scenes with no shirt. There are some cool hand tohand combat scenes, but the whole story seemed more like a made for TVmovie. I don't know how it could have cost $75 million to make. I recommendit if you like spy movies or Matt Damon, but if you like really fast pacedmovies then you may want to skip this.

Fabio Pizzuto 2012-05-05 04:29:52

As good as Mission Impossible

It has been since I've seen Mission Impossible that I didn't enjoy anaction-thriller movie so much. The plot is well written, greatly directed.The action is always pretty good, realistic and violent. Matt Damon actsvery well and he is perfect in his role. Paris is wonderful as always and atthe beginning of the movie you can feel al the different languages that mixin Europe. Very fascinating. If you like action-thriller movie, this is amust!

Agent10 2012-05-04 09:19:39

It's the little things that make this film work

While the action genre is as believable and formulaic as an NSync song, The Bourne Identity takes a much needed step to the side to watch oncoming traffic. Subtle, yet still holding true to multiple action formulas (lots of fighting, cool weaponry, and chase scenes), this film presents a new era of action film making which could be all the wave. Matt Damon, who has the unfortunate nature of watching his less talented friend Ben Affleck gainnotoriety for trash movies, is an excellent choice as the CIA operative turned amnesiac Jason Bourne. His presence is both believable and realistic, like he is some guy who looks like a bookworm. While the film's cinematography was rather average, there are moments in the film which presents actual anxiety. The viewer knows something is coming, yet the genuine far exhibited by the characters makes those moments so interesting. I thought this would be some average action, but I walked away amazed. Franka Potente played the role of Marie perfectly, even though some prettier and less talented actress could have been placed in this film. Kudos to the producers for the casting choice. 7.4/10

Unicorn-21 2012-05-03 16:05:46

Quick action in European atmosphere

Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) finds himself almost killed and drowned andremembering nothing of his past or identity. However, he soon discovershimself being an martial arts expert, a gun expert, speaking dozens oflanguages and a walking database of knowledge. He also discovers that thereare still people on his back trying to kill him. While uncovering thismystery, he gets help from innocent passer-by Franka Potente (Lola from LolaRennt).A quick and exciting movie, with lots of suspense and great action but alittle too difficult when resolving the plot. It's really not thatcomplicated, what's going on in the end, but the information we get as aviewer is too much and too fast too really see the full picturehere.Matt Damon is fit for the part, and I personally have a crush on FrankaPotente so I won't bore you with my opinion on her...Quick, good movie, tad too difficult.

thindi 2012-04-28 01:37:38

exciting and tense

I was pleasantly surprised at Matt Damon's performance as anaction hero. Though he sports a very young, innocent face he wasportraying a human lethal weapon of sorts. It was at firstconfusing and doubtful but I found myself enjoying hisperformance more and more as the movie continued. Franka'sperformance was quite good, though a story line where someonefalls so hard for someone they not only just met but who is a killer,seemed a bit much. There didn't seem to be enough time to reallyexplain all parts of the story and I was confused at times. As itstarted concentrating more and more on Bourne's fight for hismemory and life I started to really believe him as a lethally trainedspy. I would like to see it again to watch the great actionsequences as well as understand more of the plot line.It was not profound but pure entertainment. Found myself likingMatt Damon more than before. I recommend it for the action scenes and mystery aspects. Alwaysbeen a sucker for a good mystery. Watching Damon's performance was plus.

2012-04-27 05:35:54

Really good movie despite hollywood ending

I'm not a huge Matt Damon fan, and I certainly didn't think he could pull off an action role, but I was wrong. "The Bourne Identity" is a fun movie loaded with great action sequences and scenery (the farmhouse scene in particular). Franka Potente was absolutely wonderful as Damon's female sidekick. Hope to see more of her.

intelearts 2012-04-24 20:41:57

Tip top thriller

A very worthy addition to the Bourne series - provided that you likethe breakneck pace- we found it very thrilling form beginning to end -really gripping - and a decent amount of thinking to balance some verygood chase and fight scenes.The art is in the details and here the details are well thoughtthrough, it looks and feels right and just makes the time fly by.Very exciting and very watchable - just concentrate for the first 15minutes and you'll be up and running--- the plot is complicated enoughto get you involved, and the action is (mainly) feasible given Bourne'straining.Highly watchable

Snowman_Mcknives 2012-04-24 15:40:04

A Damn near perfect action movie

If you're ever wondering what action movie to take your girlfriend to,this is it. a thinking man's thriller with a solid human story at it'score. it's the best bits of James Bond meets the good stuff out ofChick Flicks.So what's it about? Jason Bourne (Matt Damon, in what was one of hisfirst high profile roles since Good Will Hunting) is found floating atsea shot twice. he has no memory of who he is, but it turns out he'srather handy and snapping wrists and making daring escapes. with thehelp of nice young German girl, (played by the eminently lovable andvery sexy Franka Potente) he finds out he's a super bad ass livingweapon cum CIA agent, part of a black bag hit squad. and his bossesaren't too keen on him staying out of the cold.and so Bourne is pursued by everyone in Europe (shot on stunninglocation) from bumbling security guards, cops, marines and his excolleagues. the action scenes are great: a mix of Hitchcock-esquireescapes, Italian job type car chases and brutal fist fights. theseaction scenes are helped by director Dough Liman's skill at making uscare about this guy: he's so nice. the whole story is Bourne becominghuman, that it wasn't what he did, but who he is that defines him.As Bourne ninjas his way towards a final showdown with his ex boss(played by the snarling Chris Cooper) we get to know him better, helets us in. rather than some cocky womanizer, this is a guy who hateskilling, hates fighting, yet is flawless at it. and therein liesBourne's superiority over James Bond as a character: he's human, werelate to him, and want him to win not because he's cool, but becausehe rather just rent out bicycles with his Teutonic girlfriend. he neverenjoys what he does, and this humanity allows us to sympathize.consider the whole film a journey from the darkness to the light.

uncle_fester1 2012-04-21 01:47:42

Pretty Ridiculous

What happened to "Carlos" in this new version? I guess he was out ofdate for the Y chromosome generation, huh? In this film, Matt Damonplays Jason Bourne like he was some kind of James Bond-like *superman*who get nary a scratch while fighting his many opponents. He even getsto beat up policeman and U.S. Embassy staff like there's no tomorrowwhile trying to find out who he is. He's like an unstoppable robotwho's martial arts skills put Wesley Snipes in BLADE to shame. Isuppose this, as well as the MTV-style editing and quick cuts willappeal to the teen and twenty-something head-banger idiots who thinkthis is hot stuff, but I found it utterly implausible and ridiculous.An insult to my intelligence.At least Richard Chamberlain was more believable as a man who wascaught up in events beyond his control. Even in the 1988 miniseries,Chamberlain handles a gun very awkwardly and doesn't fight very well soas far as I'm concerned, he makes a more believable Jason Bourne thanDamon does. Plus that was more faithful to the Ludlum book than thispile of crap.Grade: F

mr-s-little 2012-04-20 05:00:50

If you like action rent it if not, then wait for cable.

What can I say, after seeing this movie I now want to buy a Mini. Theymustbe besides from the BMW the best to whip the pants off of any cop car! Ithappened in the Michael Caine film The Italian Job and nowthis.Anyway, Bourne Identity is a remake from an 80's T.V. show and apparentlyaperversion from the book (I don't know haven't read it). While havinglotsof action and chasing the film wasn't as nail biting as I think the peopleinvolved making it wanted it to be, I myself - who hates anyone chitchatting through a film - was beginning to wonder from the screen andmakingidle conversation with my misses!!! Then going back to the film and stillhaving a grasp on what was going on, not a good sign.If you like action rent it if not, then wait for cable.

hootie1fan 2012-04-11 03:34:08

Wow

As a frequent movie-goer, I've found that movies have a lot ofpredictability. This really is not a problem for most genres except forsuspense/thrillers such as "The Bourne Identity". I bought my ticketbecauseI'm a fan of Matt Damon's work. I had no great expectations, but boy was Iwrong. Not only was Damon great as the amnesiac Jason Bourne, but theentirecast along with the unusual choice of a director and the location shotsmadethis one of the best spy movies I've seen in a long time.

Rick Blaine 2012-04-10 23:25:14

European Adventure

Here's an attaché full of cash and an attractive someone of theopposite sex. Now gallivant through the most picturesque cities inEurope, hang out in posh flats, eat at great restaurants, and imbibethe countryside. OK?This one's got it all, and the casting here is very good, with Damonperfect for his leading role, Cooper great in his supporting role, andPotente literally making the film work.I'm no fan of Ludlum but they say the movie follows the book in ideaonly. It's well written and paced and actually is more fun than itssuccessor. Was quite the surprise. Not sure if it's a keeper but it'san enjoyable view.

krokor 2012-04-04 06:17:18

Good Film Bad Title

If only this movie had anything to do with the Robert Ludlum novel it couldhave been a great movie. The big question is did the screenwriters actuallyread the novel of the same name. If Hollywood cannot bring a screenplaytogether that holds true to the original novel then they should leave theproject alone. This movie would have been far more popular if the title hadhave been "No Identity". Cashing in on a successful novel is great providedthe movie is actually similar to the novel. Perhaps Peter Jackson shouldhave written and directed "The Bourne Identity".

PersianPlaya408 2012-04-03 19:34:21

A great movie

Doug Limans bourne identity is a great suspense flick, i like thesekind of movies along the lines of James Bond scenarios. Damon isperfect in the lead as Jason Bourne an assassin who loses his memoryand questions who he is. Franka Potente was good in the female lead hemeets and befriends. Chris Cooper, Clive Owen and Brian Cox were allgreat in supporting roles. THis film is directed well by Liman whodirected great films up until Mr. and Mrs. Smith. This film is directedrealistically unlike the one with Pitt and Jolie. I liked thescreenplay too, it wasn't to artsy for the genre, suited well. Thismovie was very entertaining. 9/10

SPaS 2012-04-01 07:58:43

Does right what "The Saint" did wrong (spoilers)

I like Matt Damon and I like the older James Bond-movies = I liked "TheBourne Identity". The director understood that in suspense thrillers lessismore and didn't go for no "Triple X"-bulls**t, but instead, set some nicelittle action scenes, like the escape from embassy and oh, thecat'n'mousewith the sniper in the field - straight out of some 70s' spy movie! Icouldalmost imagine the same situation played with, say Gene Hackman or,MichaelCaine... great stuff! Minimal yet effective. The final shootout was oneclick too close to ridicule'- hope they would have tuned it down thatmuch(you now what part I mean), and added in, say, 2-3 more bad guys... butthat's just me bitching. Also nothing wrong with the car-wrecking action,just that after "Ronin"...However, the two REAL down-sides of the movie are:1) The "Headquarter"-stuff was straight out of a bad B-movie.'What's theFrench word for "Stakeout"?'- aw, c'mon! Please, we've seen that "p***edofcaptain"-act in a hundred buddy-cop actioners! One might think ChrisCooperis a bad actor if he wouldn't have just received an oscar. And if onehadn'tseen "American beauty".2) Why is Wombosi portrayed in a wide-eyed comic-book style? Seriouslyoutof style!But, as a whole, this flick is well worthy of purchase.

Varun B. 2012-03-31 18:00:26

Better than the average...

THE BOURNE IDENTITY is a pure and straightforward action thriller withsolid writing and acting; no more, no less. It is superior to mostfilms that fall in this genre because it manages to stay away from mostof the worn-out action clichés, while focusing more on character/plotdevelopment and exposition than the action sequences.Doug Liman and Tony Gilroy have created a fresh action thriller withTHE BOURNE IDENTITY; one that will entertain many viewers withoutfeeling stale or overstaying its welcome. The acting is prettytop-notch, with Matt Damon's emotionless and laid-back approach to hischaracter a welcome one in a genre dominated by overacting or pooracting. Chris Cooper and Franka Potente play their supporting roleswell, and Potente adds a nice contrast to Damon's Bourne. Clive Owenhas a brief cameo that is worth mentioning.So what about the action? Well, there is an obligatory car chase thatgets a bit old after the first two or three minutes or so. Frankly, Idon't see why these pointless scenes have become a requisite for thegenre. This chase adds nothing that viewers haven't seen before, anddidn't really have to be that long. The fight sequences are worthwatching, and many of them involve some sleek hand-to-hand combat,which are thankfully well-edited and choreographed. But the realselling point is not the action, but the screenplay (as written by TonyGilroy) which keeps the more intellectual viewers on edge trying tofigure out Bourne's identity. The exposition is well-written anddoesn't come out of the blue. Again, top marks for writing; somethingthat is usually absent in action thrillers.The editing is crisp and clean, making the movie-going experienceworthwhile. I decided to mention this because most action movies havedreadful editing, to the point where the action sequences seem blurryand nauseating. The music in this film is also worth mentioning, as itcontains a modern upbeat feel that suits the movie well.A final note about Jason Bourne's past: it is worth noting thatscreenplays that encourage viewers to root for a character with a shadypast/present are usually frowned upon by many 'upstanding citizens'. Ibring to mind the recent controversy surrounding the popularity ofShowtime's DEXTER series. I was impressed by Gilroy's ability to writethe past Bourne as different from the present Bourne due to theamnesia. It should at lest keep these 'concerned' folks quiet.All in all, a great film. That's right. I am no fan of action thrillersbut this one is miles ahead of the ordinary. It is intelligent andwell-paced, and will give viewers exactly what they expect, and more.Deserves a solid 7/10 and 3 stars (out of 4).