La Mémoire dans la peau

Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne, a highly trained, U.S. spy whose wounded body is found floating in an ocean by a fishing boat. With no memory of who he is and what happened to him, he has to piece together how he came to be shot in the back and left for dead; and most importantly, who and what he is. But Damon must do it fast, as time is running out and the ones he worked for are sending assassins to find him. "The Bourne Identity" is top-notch spy movie, filled with action, suspense, and a mystery that is slowly explained as the movie goes on. Matt Damon is well suited for the role, and with the help of fancy editing, he comes off as a martial arts expert who can quickly dispatch multiple foes in a few seconds. The movie moves along very fast, making the near two hour running time feel like it's thirty minutes shorter than it is. Fast pacing and a likable hero (Damon) are two big strengths of this movie that fans of spy/thriller/suspense movies should not miss. My most memorable, movie moment of "The Bourne Identity" is the scene when Damon evades the police with an original Mini car! Hey, it's not the car, it's the driver that counts.

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I have grown extremely tired of the typical formula spy film like Bond, or the juvenile stunt exhibition "Triple X." There have been a bare handful of spy films that feature relatively realistic spy thrillers, especially recently with a concentration on spectacular movies that have less substance than cotton candy.

Besides "The Bourne Identity," "Ronin" is the only other recent spy movie I can think of that didn't feature skydiving, bungie jumping, skiing downhill while shooting innumerable bad guys, laser pens, cars with ejection seats, or silicone breasted women with names you'd be vaguely embarrassed to say in front of your mother. Most of the crap that passes for an espionage film has no plot or reason for existing other than to meet a quota of explosions and cleavage in order to draw the summer action film crowd.

While "Bourne" does not have a particularly deep plot, it is consistent and focused. The focus is entirely upon Bourne and how he is to deal with having no memory of his past, being hunted without knowing why. Some people have complained about being confused by the movie. I for one, do not need to have everything spelled out since in many cases this smacks of unreality in the first place; the essence of espionage is drawing conclusions from very sketchy information. If you can't handle a little of that, you probably should stick to Disney films or TV's Scooby Doo where everything is explained in the end. We never find out about what is in the case in "Ronin" and I can live without some information being filled in about Bourne's past.

To those who have moaned about the incompatibility of the book and the movie, seek help. There are probably several things that work in the book that would either be boring and take too much screen time to explain, or would be viewed as cliche to modern screen audiences. As I remember, I liked the book, and I definitely like this movie. I view any movie adaptation as an interpretation of the book rather than a translation from words to pictures anyway.

As for realism, most of the action scenes are believable, no super-gadgets are to be seen, no incredibly lovely models fall madly in bed with Bourne, and the hero shows definite signs of physical vulnerability despite a very high level of training and competance. As someone who has trained in martial arts for over 10 years, unrealistic fight scenes are a pet peeve. The fights in "Bourne" are fast, nasty, and very realistic while still being entertaining for the layman. (And yes, taking a gun away from some idiot who is standing well within your striking radius without getting shot is definitely doable, though I had serious doubts until we tested it for ourselves with plastic dart guns in the dojo several years ago).

While not being perfect, "The Bourne Identity" is, simply put, several grades above the typical spy film. Being focused on an individual level rather than involving itself huge political ramifications lends it another layer of respectability rather than detracting from it as some comments have implied since it remains a human problem on a comprehensible scale. The mysteries that are left are bigger mysteries for Bourne than us, and I think should be viewed as intentional omissions rather than loose ends. The implausibilities are kept to a minimum and the realism to as high a level as possible while still being spectacular enough to meet the expectations of the genre.

I enjoyed this. It had been one of those movies I had heard about but had never gotten around to. There are times when it seems that Matt Damon is such a cold fish (ala The Good Shepherd), that one has trouble getting connected to him. In this film he is really believable as a man who has all the training of a killing machine, but a soft side that bears exploring. The character is put into situations he can't understand but can only react to. He has compassion but little understanding. What an interesting role. If there's a shortcoming, it's that the motivations of the bad folks aren't all that clear. It's still a delight to watch his relationship with his I-only- need-a-ride partner develop. There is a level of subtlety that most films of this type don't have. The car chases are spectacular but, for once, they backed down on the pyrotechnics. I appreciated this.

Next to Ronin, this is one of the best action / spy movies that I've ever seen. I heard a lot of good critics, but didn't know what to think about it. I only saw it 2 years after it first appeared and I'm a little disappointed that I didn't go watch it in the cinema.

I'm not too keen on movies like James Bond and other stuff in this genre, but this one is a lot better. Normally you see the "super hero" using all kinds of weird gadgets, driving extremely fast sports cars and sleeping with ladies who look more like prostitutes than being normal women.

Jason Bourne however doesn't have all this things, which makes this movie a lot more realistic. The fights are fast and very realistic but still entertaining. The action scenes are believable, no super-gadgets, no incredibly willing women sharing his bed... Our hero even shows definite signs of physical vulnerability despite a very high level of training and competence. In the meanwhile he has to deal with amnesia, while being hunted without knowing why. In the end this is still a man which you can identify yourself with.

I would say: Go watch it when you are a fan of movies like Ronin, don't watch it if you think James Bond is a person who you can bump into on the streets when going out. Personally I would award this movie with an 8/10.

In 1962, Hollywood introduced British spy James Bond who made an iconic name in the action genre, and the legacy of this household action hero continues today through the longest running film franchise In the 1980s, we were introduced to Bruce Willis' John McClane, a New York cop who served justice as he took a dozen of German terrorists at the Nakatomi Plaza one by one, and his astonishing charisma has lead to a spawn of a few sequels. Matt Damon as Jason Bourne is what some describe as just a modern day James Bond. But with a powerful portrayal by Damon, he feels more like an original character, a spy agent with a highly trained set of fighting skills in both gun and hand-to- hand combat. In this spy action thrilled directed by Doug Liman, Matt Damon steps into what is arguably his most charismatic role aside from his Oscar-nominated performance in 'Good Will Hunting'. Damon plays the title character Jason Bourne, a CIA agent who wakes up on a boy after being rescued by a group of fisherman. Suffering from amnesia and covered in bullet wounds, he travels to Switzerland where he uses his old bank account to put together the puzzle pieces of his identity. He is soon assisted by German woman Marie (played by Franka Potente) to search for his identity but soon find himself by hunted down by ruthless assassins by Black Ops agent Alexander Conklin (played by Chris Cooper). Bourne must escape from the vicious criminals while searching for answers to what they want him for.

Not very many action flicks offer a spectacular mix of tense action and mystery like this action thriller. From the hyper-kinetic action sequences, to it's slick editing, to the highly compelling plot, to the overall likability of the lead character; this film stops at almost nothing to deliver the strong, visceral experience viewers come to root for. In an age where many films of the action genre struggle to find a solid balance of both action and coherent plot development, this one manages to stand out. The plot moves through the title character's search of his identity and the conspiracy that surrounds, and what ensues is a nice array of tension and unpredictable scenes. The fiercest moments show Jason Bourne engaging in brutal martial arts combat against the baddies, complete with stunning choreography and camera-work that, while a bit shaky, successfully express the intensity of the scenes. One of the most intense moments lies in a beautifully shot staircase shootouts scene. The film definitely has a sweet taste in action, and it delivers quite well especially with Matt Damon who's quite energizing vibrant in the lead role. Franka Potente is also very strong as her character who makes a competent supporting character rather than a typical damsel-in-distress. Praise can also be given to Chris Cooper as the main villain. He may not serve as a memorable antagonist, but that's not the point as the lead character's primary goal is not to capture or kill the villain but to search for the reason why he (the antagonist) trying to take him down.

The Bourne Identity is tense, thrilling, and purely entertaining experience for action fans everywhere. This film is easily a household name in Matt Damon's career as well as the action genre of the 2000s. For all looking for a great popcorn flick, this one is worth checking out.