The Bourne Identity

Based on the book by Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity follows Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne as he’s forced to piece together his identity after he’s shot and left for dead in the middle of the ocean – with Bourne’s quest taking him on a globe-trotting adventure and bringing him into contact with a suspicious yet affable bystander (Franka Potente’s Marie). It’s a decidedly larger-than-life premise that is, for the most part, employed to low-key effect by director Doug Liman, as the filmmaker, working from Tony Gilroy and William Blake Herron’s script, emphasizes the central character’s continuing efforts at solving the mystery behind his situation/existence – which consequently results in a subdued atmosphere that’s perpetuated by both the deliberate pace and perfunctory action sequences. (In terms of the latter, Liman infuses such moments with a competent yet bloodless and far-from-engrossing feel that is, to say the least, rather disappointing.) The episodic bent of the film’s midsection (ie Bourne goes from place to place hunting down clues) ensures that there’s a lack of momentum here that’s exacerbated by an overlong running time, and it’s worth noting that the movie doesn’t entirely become the exciting thriller one might’ve anticipated until its third act – as this stretch, which features an intensity and urgency that’s otherwise absent, boasts a genuinely suspenseful confrontation between Bourne and a persistent assassin known only as the Professor (Clive Owen). The end result is a passable effort that receives plenty of mileage out of Damon’s expectedly engaging performance, admittedly, yet, given its premise, it’s difficult not to walk away somewhat disappointed by the film’s persistently middling nature.

**1/2 out of ****