Review of The Bourne Identity (2002) by John O — 24 Jul 2016

This is a film that one can enjoy even without listening to the dialogue scenes but with the intensity and mystery that this film brings to the table, how can one not be gripped. The Bourne Identity, the title pretty much tells you what it is, is a story about a man who is trying to remember or figure out his past before the amnesia. A great premise, although nothing new, this film is a mixture of fast paced action and great story telling.

I see this film as two sides. One side is Jason Bourne going through Europe figuring out his true identity and the other side is the CIA who are trying to clean up Bourne's mess by finding him. I personally was satisfied with both sides as they are both informative and at the same time thrilling even when the CIA members are just at their office/computers. Whilst the CIA side of the film gives out the facts and details of Bourne to the audience, it's still enjoyable to see Bourne figuring out for himself.

Matt Damon is great as Bourne, this film though did not show a wide range of Damon's emotional acting but it did show the audience what he can do physically. Franka Potente is the leading lady of this film, she plays the companion of Bourne named Marie Kreutz. Though at the early stage of the film, I can already predict that she was going to become some sort of love interest for Bourne but it did not bring any negative feelings from me towards the film.

A character in this film that I adored and thought was perfect for the part was Clive Owen as The Professor. Granted, his role in this is very short and does not contain more than six sentences of dialogue but when this guy was on screen, he brought it.

All the actors in this film besides Clive Owen, in my opinion, can be played many other actors out there because the characters in this film are a little generic and very minimal in detail. Though, it didn't matter much to me as I came to this film expecting an action film.

The choice of using the shaky camera effect, very noticable in the action sequences, was a good one. It gives that sense of presence for the audience, it felt like it was you who was sitting at the back of Bourne's car looking back at the policeman chasing. It can be a bit overwhelming for some but if you can look past it then the action sequences will be very enjoyable. The action in this isn't over the top and feels realistic. I like that this film does not use explosion to wow the audience but instead show Bourne's skill to impress.

The Bourne Identity is a great time as it is only 2 hours in running time and it brings a great premise that allows the audience to come back to it at any time and still enjoy it. This would be an enjoyable watch alone and with your friends.