The Bourne Identity

Robert Ludlum's #1 best selling novel, "The Bourne Identity" has smooth savvy and intense action. Much of this has to do with Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. But there is no denying that Director Doug Liman has a heavy hand in keeping the pace and action tight and entertaining. This is not an over the top spy flick. It is not anything like the Bond films. In fact, this 2002 action thriller never insults the intelligence of the viewer. Even the car chase scene in Paris is masterfully crafted, yet highly credible. Folks that's good filmmaking.

A man is found floating in the open ocean by an Italian fishing boat. He has a bullet wound and no memory. He does have a small laser chip under the skin in his back which displays a Zurich bank account number. Upon returning to port, he sets off to discover his past before he loses his future. Shot entirely in Europe, the premise is total spook think and covert agency mishap. The more he learns, the tighter the noose. Fortunately the clueless Bourne is a killing machine, and the attempts on his life are met with deadly precision.

Franka Potente plays Marie Helena Kreutz, Bourne's love interest and friend. She gets caught-up in the frightening chase, and on several occasions you can really feel the dark despair they share. This is not a happy, all-is-well-in-the-world kinda film. In many ways, it forces you to think about rogue government agencies and their consequences. But Damon finds that with all the programming he's been subjected to, he still has a conscience. And that's the hope in this little Pandora's Box. Simply awesome film.