'Identity' adds new face
to spy thrillers
By Christopher Brunt
The Daily Cougar
If you've seen the preview for The Bourne
Identity, you probably thought, "Hey, Matt stole one of Ben's movies, that
doesn't seem fair!" You may even start to question your faith in friendship,
and overall goodness in Hollywood.
Photo courtesy of Universal
Pictures
In the latest spy thriller
The Bourne Identity, Matt Damon (right) plays a CIA agent with amnesia.
Franka Potente (left) portrays his
girlfriend.
But silence the cynic in you (if I can,
anyone can), and let this wonderfully slick action picture prove itself
to you. It won't take long.
As much as a summer spy movie is capable
of, director Doug Liman's work has delivered a sophisticated, polished
bit of
entertainment. Think of a James Bond who
doesn't know he's James Bond, doesn't have a sexy accent and probably couldn't
grow a
beard if he tried. Sound dull? It's anything
but — thanks to Liman's intelligent direction and Matt Damon's performance.
Damon plays Bourne, a CIA assassin who
worked for a secret wing of the agency until he botched a mission, was
shot and
disappeared. His employers assume he's
dead, but nevertheless deploy lots of ultra-hip spies to look for him.
This is the situation
Bourne is faced with when he recovers
from his wounds. The first problem he must deal with is the unfortunate
case of amnesia he
developed during his injury. Luckily for
him and us, he retains all his wicked spy skills.
It's the amnesia twist in the otherwise
conventional plot structure that makes this film stand on its feet. As
far as the action is
concerned, it's not overblown like a certain
007 franchise (all due respect), but neatly laced with enough explosives,
reckless chases
and high-flying acrobatics to still thrill
the visually-demanding viewer. Furthermore, it's refreshing, especially
of late, to watch an action
film that doesn't look like a two-hour
cartoon.
The subtleties in this film lift it well
above the genre's norm. It's classier and smarter than the average spy
flick, with understated witty
interplay between the excellent Damon
and his likable girlfriend (played by Franka Potente), breath-taking settings
in Switzerland and
Paris, and a solid performance by Chris
Cooper as a villainous CIA commander.
Liman's humor is patient and inventive,
sprinkled tastefully amidst the requisite death and destruction.
Damon is not the ideal leading man for
a thrilling action movie; that honor belongs to his pal Ben Affleck. Damon
is much more the
actor's actor than blue-collar Ben, but
this film proves he's not too much of a highbrow for the summertime blockbusters.
Because of Bourne's amnesia, he spends
much of the film about his identity, his special abilities (which approach
Jedi status) and
the reason everyone is trying to kill
him. Damon, perhaps still drawing off his Good Will Hunting experience,
can play the rage-filled
victim well. Choosing to make this film
shows he is willing to be the versatile talent Hollywood is looking for.
It is hard to find a flaw in The Bourne
Identity's acting, but the casting of Julia Stiles to play a well-heeled
drone seems questionable.
This blossoming star is sadly wasted here,
playing a CIA computer specialist who functions like a telephone operator.
She looks
fabulous, but she deserves more.
