Review #1,077: 'The Bourne Identity' (2002)

Few could have expected the affect Doug Liman's adaptation of Robert Ludlum's novel The Bourne Identity would have on action cinema, and on the career of star Matt Damon, when it was released back in 2002. This well-crafted, relatively low-key action thriller takes the done-to-death spy-with-amnesia story and runs with it, avoiding the lure of throwing in Michael Bay-esque explosions and wisely keeping things grounded, as shady government types in dull black suits stare at computer monitors and make demands to their younger cronies that they have the information they require 'yesterday'.

In the Mediterranean Sea, a fishing vessel picks up a man near death with two bullet holes in his back. The on-board doctor tends to his wounds and pulls a small device from his hip, which reveals a Swiss bank account number when activated. The man has no memory of who he is, and so heads to Zurich to recover a safe deposit box that contains multiple identities, a wad of cash in different currencies, and a gun. He opts to go by the name on his American passport, Jason Bourne, but soon finds himself chased by a shadowy agency called Treadstone, seemingly led by the ruthless Conklin (Chris Cooper). Evading capture at the American embassy, he pays pretty German lady Marie (Franka Potente) to drive him to Paris in the hope of discovering who he is and who is after him.

Jason Bourne can now be spoken in the same breath as James Bond, and in fact makes the British super-spy seem ridiculous in comparison, especially the Pierce Brosnan incarnation. Bourne is infinitely more interesting because he is conflicted, tortured by a past of mass-murder and seeking to make amends for his actions. While the action scenes thrill in a refreshingly unspectacular way, it's Bourne's tender relationship with Marie that generate the most sparks. Potente is lovely in the role, and her naturalism and chemistry with Damon is the film's biggest positive, and there are smart turns from Cooper and Brian Cox as the grumpy old agency men and Clive Owen as a dead-eyed fellow assassin. While it may pale in comparison to the bar-raising Paul Greengrass sequels, Identity is still a nifty thriller with characters to actually care about.


Directed by: Doug Liman
Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles
Country: USA/Germany/Czech Republic

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,013: 'Children of Men' (2006)

When I first saw Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men 10 years ago, I loved it for its kinetic action and terrifying vision of a world devoid of newborns, made to feel closer to home by the fact that it was set in England. The grim near-future it depicted (set in 2027) felt authentic, with the lack of flying cars, fancy gadgets and futuristic fashion sense making for a more grounded experience. But it felt a world away. Ten years on, the film's unglamorous and sobering scenes of terrorism and refugee overcrowding takes on a whole new level of prescience. Switch on the news now and chances are you'll see footage similar to the grey landscape of Children of Men.

Activist turned paper-pusher Theo (Clive Owen) cynically drinks away his days, with the United Kingdom now one of the few safe havens left in the world, albeit a police state struggling to cope with the influx of migrants. He is kidnapped by militant group the Fishes, led by Theo's former lover Julian (Julianne Moore), and is forced to use his influence within the government to acquire transit papers for a young immigrant named Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey). With the Fishes' motivations somewhat unclear and divided, Theo flees with Kee and nurse Miriam (Pam Ferris) through hostile terrain in the hope of delivering her to a group dedicated to curing infertility.

Politics and social awareness aside, the action more than holds up to today's standards, with three-Oscars-in-a-row cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki's long takes and swirling camera still managing to take the breath away. In the films best sequence, Theo, Julian, Kee and Fishes muscle Luke (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are subject to a surprise attack by an armed gang. Action nowadays tends to be edit-heavy with a hand-held camera blurring the proceedings, but Lubezki's fluid camerawork captures the immediacy of the situation while maintaining clarity. Mixing special effects and breathtaking choreography, it's a moment that terrifies, excites and shocks all at once. It is a technique that innovates without feeling gimmicky.

On a deeper note, Children of Men is not just a tale of caution, but also a study of what humanity desires of their children. Here, without children there is no hope. The youngest boy in the world has been stabbed to death, and the world has fallen into complete chaos with the sudden emergence of infertility. While some parents may view their children as an extension of their bloodline and a way to live on after death, some see them as the next generation with an opportunity to affect the world they will inherit. This sentiment is etched on Theo's face when Kee reveals her secret and his task becomes clear. As Theo, Owen proves why he was such a solid leading man for a brief time before retreating from the spotlight, and is backed by an subtly intimidating Ejiofor and a comic-relief Michael Caine as political cartoonist turned pot-grower Jasper.  The real stars, however, are Cuaron and Lubezki, who have crafted a nightmarish vision that is both terrifyingly plausible and uncomfortably gripping.


Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
Starring: Clive Owen, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Julianne Moore, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Caine, Pam Ferris, Charlie Hunnam
Country: USA/UK

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie