'Allo! I'm not contributing to Ciao for the time being but if you are bored / desperate / weird enou...
'Allo! I'm not contributing to Ciao for the time being but if you are bored / desperate / weird enough to wish to continue to read my ramblings, you can find me on Dooyoo under the user name plipplop. See you around! :P
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When the crew of a trawler spot a distress beacon floating in the water off the coast of France, they are shocked to find that the beacon is attached to the body of a young man. Unconscious, and injured from extensive bullet wounds, the man’s body yields no clues as to his identity. When he awakes, he is suffering from amnesia, but the crew tend to his wounds, and offer him passage to shore. The only clue to his identity lies in a computer chip, implanted beneath his skin, which contains the details of a secret French bank account.
Arriving on the French mainland, the man tracks down the location of the bank and arranges to inspect the contents of his safety deposit box. Beneath a layer of cash and valuables, he finds a gun, a wristwatch and numerous foreign passports, all of which contain his picture, but with different names. Understandably puzzled, he decides to make his way to the US embassy to obtain help. But his movements have not gone unnoticed and he soon finds himself under attack from all quarters. It would transpire that his name is Jason Bourne and that he is a CIA agent, whom the CIA would prefer not to exist. Enlisting
the aid of a young woman, he sets about trying to regain his memory, whilst doing his best to stay alive as one by one, the best assassins in Europe are deployed to kill him.
The Bourne Identity was originally a very popular novel written by Robert Ludlum. I’ve never read the book myself, so I can only review the film in its own right (although I’m assured that it remains fairly faithful to the original.) With James Bond starting to show his age, the cinema needs some new secret agent heroes and I suspect that Jason Bourne may well be a name that we will be hearing more of. As a debut, The Bourne Identity is entertaining enough, with plenty of action and fast bits to keep you occupied, but I couldn’t help thinking that there could have been more to it.
I can’t decide whether I thought the film was very original or very hackneyed. Conceptually, the way in which Jason Bourne is introduced in a state of amnesia is quite interesting because the rest of the film is as much a journey of investigation for him as it is the audience. Nonetheless, there were times when the film was extremely predictable. As soon as Bourne entered the US embassy, and we saw the young woman Marie Kreutz it was extremely obvious that the two of them would end up as a partnership and that a romantic interlude would follow. As much as I enjoy such things, there is also the inevitable car chase around the streets of France, which seemed very reminiscent of Ronin to me. There is nothing inherently wrong with this – action films do have a tendency to resemble one another – but it does mean that there was nothing that particularly set this film out above any other.
That aside, it must be said the film’s French setting does work extremely well. The narrow streets and odd police sirens support the car chase extremely well, and the stylish French cities are a perfect backdrop for Bourne and Marie. Part of Bourne’s predicament of course is that he is in unknown territory, so it is also very logical that he should be on foreign soil – and nothing looks better in a spy movie that a cold European city. The pace of the film is also well set. Things are not quite as frantic as a typical Bond movie, but there is never enough time to get bored and the film does hold your attention up until the end. Sadly, I thought that the ending was very disappointing. This is one of those films that really needs a powerful climax to justify the growing tension, but it does rather run out of steam and I can almost guarantee that you’ll watch this and end up thinking, “Is that it?”
Matt Damon’s portrayal of Jason Bourne is highly effective in that he lacks any of the smug arrogance or slimy womanising ways that similar characters exude. He is very understated and very calm throughout and this in itself makes him very appealing. His character also moves exceptionally well – he instinctively breaks into a skilled martial artist when the need arises, but it is all done in such a matter-of-fact way that you really do believe that it is second nature. Unlike James Bond and others, his attitude towards women if refreshingly innocent as well – he is sexy in an unconventionally subtle way. His newfound partner Marie is stereotypically hysterical and reluctant to start with, but fortunately she then settles down and becomes less irritating and the two do work well together. The only other notable performance is that of Clive Owen (from Chancer) who crops up as a silent but deadly assassin known only as The Professor.
For one reason or another, I was slightly disappointed with this film. Whilst the plot was potentially quite interesting, I though that things ran out of steam towards the end. However, Matt Damon is excellent and the French location is appealing enough to make this a pleasant enough way to pass ninety minutes.
Not recommended – for purchase. Recommended – for rental Recommended – for free view.
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Production Year: 1977 - Action/Adventure - Director: Clint Eastwood - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring:Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
i may have been tired last night, but think this film didnt help, i gave it just over half an hour and was bored stupid. might or might not take another look, great review, glad i only paid a tenner for the two.....
sarah xx
Freely adapted from Robert Ludlum's 1980 bestseller,The Bourne Identitystarts fast and ... more
never slows down. The twisting plot revs up in Zurich, where amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), with no memory of his name, profession, or recent activ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
He was the perfect weapon until he became the target.Explosive action thriller starring ... more
Matt Damon (Ocean's Eleven) and Franka Potente (Run Lola, Run) and based on the International bestseller by Robert Ludlum.Rescued with two bullets in his back, Jaso...
Advantages: Good character development, draws you into the story, superbly written, great start to the series Disadvantages: A little overkill in location desciptions but I feel they become necessary
Andy.mack 20.09.2004 (23.10.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Bourne Identity (DVD)
Advantages: Franka Potente and the scenes without Matt Damon. Disadvantages: I bet Matt Damon wishes he really did have amnesia, then he could forget about Good Will Hunting.
Advantages: Good character development, draws you into the story, superbly written, great start to the series Disadvantages: A little overkill in location desciptions but I feel they become necessary
Andy.mack 20.09.2004 (23.10.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Bourne Identity (DVD)
![The Bourne Identity [DVD] [2002]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78538864.jpg "The Bourne Identity [DVD] [2002]")
Mar 26th, 2003
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