The Film:  The Bourne Identity

Year: 2002

Genre:  Action

Directed By:  Doug Liman

Written By:  Robert Ludlum (Story), Tony Gilroy, William Blake Herron

Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Julia Stiles

Why Rent It?

The reviews are in for the first film in the post-Matt Damon Bourne series, and it looks like The Bourne Legacy isn’t living up to the hype.

Roger Ebert said:

“The Bourne Legacy” is always gripping in the moment.

The problem is in getting the moments to add up.

I freely confess that for at least the first 30 minutes I had no clear idea of why anything was happening.

The dialogue is concise, the cinematography is arresting and the plot is a murky muddle.

So, why was the first film in the series so good?

The Breakdown:

Matt Damon pulled off the role of a confused bad-ass who did what he had to do to survive.

The action sequences were insane.  A guy comes at you with a knife?  No problem.  Jason Bourne has a pen.

You can’t lose with a film directed by Doug Liman and a theme song by Moby.

Final Analysis: 

 The Bourne Identity was the first film of the Bourne series.

Director Doug Liman was best known for Swingers, but he had delved into some action with the underrated Go.

The New York Times said:

Mr. Liman’s filmmaking has an old-fashioned rigor.

He uses a few digital enhancements but generally prefers to create suspense through precise camera placements and crisp editing.

Liman even operated the handheld camera in some of the action sequences.

If you weren’t satisfied with the latest Bourne film, or want to know what all the hype is about, then check out the original:  The Bourne Identity.

The Bourne Identity is available on Amazon and at Netflix.