Movie Review by Nigel A. Messenger
Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox
Director: Doug Liman
Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is a man with no identity. Actually he does have one, he just can’t remember it. He has a safety deposit box full of several passports, all with different names, and money in a variety of currencies and his bank account number is embedded in his hip. He’s in Zurich and everybody is after him, the police, the security at the American consulate, everyone. After evading capture at the consulate he meets Marie (Franka Potente) and pays her $10 000 dollars to drive him to Paris. On the way to Paris they get to know each other but just by being with Bourne makes Marie a target also. But as well as numerous identities Bourne discovers he also has highly trained fighting skills in martial arts and in handling weapons.
THE BOURNE IDENTITY is an excellent action packed spy thriller. Its European locations give it a believable international feeling enhanced even further by German born actress Franka Potente – so far best known for her starring role in the 1999 movie RUN LOLA RUN. In fact her part in that film was the model used when creating the part of Marie in the screenplay for THE BOURNE IDENTITY. Matt Damon also excels in the part of Jason Bourne. He really does fit the part of a spy trained to be a weapon in the espionage thriller setting. I certainly hope we see a lot more of both Matt Damon and Franka Potente in high profile movie roles.
THE BOURNE IDENTITY is of course based on a bestseller by Robert Ludlum and is part of a trilogy featuring the character of Jason Bourne so I for one am eagerly looking forward to at least two sequels.
