Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageThe Bourne Identity (2002)
Director: Doug Liman
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Pulled from the Med like a blond tuna, our unidentified amnesiac does have a few clues to go on: scars, bullet holes, a Swiss bank account number embedded in his blubber. When push comes to shove, he knows how to look after himself too, his instincts remembering what his brain has blanked out. Jason Bourne is a covert government agent skilled in martial arts, a deadly assassin, and - by now - a potential embarrassment to his CIA paymasters. Can Bourne recover himself before he's disappeared for good? The quirky indie touches of director Doug Liman's Swingers and Go are replaced here by a ruthless pragmaticism and self-effacement. This movie could have been signed by John (Ronin) Frankenheimer or Fred (Day of the Jackal) Zinnemann. These may be well-trodden roads, but at least the film doesn't dawdle. Efficient set pieces come neatly spaced every ten to 15 minutes - just often enough to keep you credulous - and the trans-European settings lend a classy backdrop. The real story here is Potente from Run Lola Run. As an innocent bystander dragged into Bourne's adventure, Potente is the only human being in evidence, someone it might actually be worth getting to know. (From the novel by Robert Ludlum.) TCh.Author: TCh
User reviews of this film
-
- Magmabulle said...
- Posted on Jun 09 2008 11:33 A surprisingly good thriller. It isn't exactly original, but it is more well-made than most other works in the genre.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Technoguy said...
- Posted on Feb 03 2008 01:07 A stunner from first to last,Damon,the amnesiac assassin,programmed to kill,but don't know why.He's a subversive blank slate whom the C IA is trying to bump off.Like a rogue agent who is beyond their control.Damon surprisingly good as The Man With No Memory and No Personality.Into this empty vessel Potente pours her healing balm.This gives the digit persona the right residue of warmth and humanity and drive.The formula succeeds,based as it is on Ludlum's novels.And the magic initials:J.B.
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Doug Liman
Producer: Doug Liman, Patrick Crowley, Richard N Gladstein
Cast: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Gabriel Mann, Julia Stiles full cast
Genre(s): Thrillers
Duration: 119 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade
Ten years, thousands of movies and millions of dollars in international box office, and it all boils down to this
Martin Provost discusses 'Séraphine'
Trevor Johnston talks to the director of 'Séraphine' about bringing a little known French painter back to life
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now