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    		•

    FILMS

    The Bourne Identity (2002)
  • Starring Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper

  • Directed by Doug Liman

  • Based on the novel by Robert Ludlum

    • I always get excited whenever I see a trailer for a movie that looks like it's going to fall into the espionage/spy genre. I love James Bond films and movies like Spy Game and Mission: Impossible. I like the idea of a highly trained professional who sent, at great risk to life and limb, on a mission that, should he get caught, his own government will deny knowledge of his existence. They always make for good premises.

    Please note that I said the always make for good premises. I did not, however, say they always make good movies.

    The Bourne Identity is the latest offering in the superspy genre. It has a few twists and turns of plot, but otherwise is not completely unlike a James Bond film. The Bourne Identity is about a man who is pulled from the ocean and can't remember anything about himself. He knows kung-fu and all sorts of crazy stuff, but he doesn't know who he is, or why he was in the ocean, or why he has two bullet holes in his back, or why he has the number of a Swiss bank account stitched into his thigh.

    Unfortunately one of the best scenes in the film was shown over and over again during its marketing campaign. You know the one I'm talking about. Matt Damon and Franka Potente are in a shop and Damon is going on about how he knows the numbers of all six license plates outside, and that the fat guy at the bar weighs X amount and yada yada yada—he's catching all of the sight lines, etc. It was a pretty impressive scene when I saw it on Leno and Letterman and Conan and 10 times a day on commercials. When I finally got to the movie, I'd seen the scene already. Time to move on. But this may be more a problem with the marketing than the film itself, because the scene is pretty badass—but it just doesn't have enough badassness (yes, that's a word) to be worth watching 100 times. Here's another little complaint I have about the advertising of this film: The trailers harp on the fact that he doesn't know who he is. We're barraged with soundbites like "Why are they shooting at me?" "I don't know who I am?" "Why do I have a gun?" "Who does and has stuff like this?" "How can I do known these things?" "Who am I?" I gotta tell ya, I get excited. It's an effective ad. And then, at the very top of the movie poster it says, "Matt Damon is Jason Bourne." Well, shit. He's Jason Bourne. I guess that answers the "Who am I?" question, don't it?

    It's a minor beef, but it ticked me off. Enough of that, let's get onto the actual movie.

    I liked The Bourne Identity. I liked it, but didn't love it. It's easy to like, though, so it's not accomplishing any miracles in this department. I'm not quite sure what it would've taken to love this film, but it definitely needed help. I would've taken out the romance story and put in more actual espionage and plot advancements. The romance was flat and useless. Call me insensitive, but that entire part of the story didn't work for me. I was also incredibly confused by her accent. At first I thought it was French, and then halfway through the film it changed to German—but Damon first saw her in the American Embassy. I have NO clue what's going on with this character and I don't think the film ever attempts to explain it. I would've axed it entirely and built the plot up more. But since I never get put in charge of these sorts of things, I just have to resort to bitching about them.

    The Bourne Identity seemed like a really good first episode of a TV show. If they hadn't wrapped up the story it seems like you could go much farther with it. I did a little research (read: went to IMDB) and apparently Bourne was on TV at one point—Damon's version was a remake of a 1988 made-for-TV movie, starring Richard Chamberlain as Jason Bourne and Jacklyn Smith as Marie. If I said I was interested in seeing this version, I'd be lying.

    I have this little theory that I'm concocting: I contest that Matt Damon is marketing himself as a genius. Let's take a look:

    The Bourne Identity: genius superspy
    Ocean's Eleven: genius thief
    All the Pretty Horses: genius at getting Penelope Cruz to fall in love with him
    The Legend of Bagger Vance: a would-be genius golfer
    The Talented Mr. Ripley: genius con-man
    Dogma: fallen angel Loki, genius, and master of lies
    Rounders: genius poker player
    Saving Private Ryan: genius military commander, fooling everyone he's a simple country boy
    Good Will Hunting: just your regular, average abused and abusive genius

    OK, so maybe it's not exactly a sound theory—but I'm working on it. You have to admit, though, there is something genius in marketing yourself as a genius. He just better hope that no one ever calls him on it.

    If you're like me and love the superspy genre, be sure to check this one out. But rental only, please. (Not that it's in the theaters anymore.) It's just that I'd hate to be blamed for anyone spending too much money on what is a middle-of-the-road film. TBI is easy to watch, asks nothing of you, and offers little in return. But there's a good 30 minutes where I was intrigued.