La Mémoire dans la peau

La série de films sur Jason Bourne est, d’après moi, le plus surestimé des thrillers d’action. La plus grande faiblesse des deux premiers volets (je ne crois pas que je vais oser regarder le troisième) réside dans l’insipidité de l’intrigue. Matt Damon voyage dans le monde, plus précisément de Suisse en France dans le cas de ce premier film, sans savoir qui il est, ni ce qui se passe, ni pourquoi. Par contre, il se souvient parfaitement de certaines choses, mouvements et dialogues, sans parler de ses épatantes compétences linguistiques en allemand et en français qui le qualifient pour une carrière de diplomate. Si c’est censé être un film d’action, l’action est maigre et, en tant que thriller palpitant au scénario bien ficelé, eh bien, ce n’est pas du tout ça. Il en résulte un spectacle barbant, inintéressant et vraiment pitoyable. En gros, Jason Bourne peut aller se rhabiller face à un Jack Bauer ou à un Ethan Hunt ! Au moins, dans le numéro un, on voit Paris. (20/09/2008)

An agent without a past... and without balls. Matt Damon is fine, and I'm not saying I don't like this concept of a "man of the people," who turns into a killing machine in a crisis, and the master of an ingenious escape strategy. But I enjoyed the character of Jason during action scenes rather than outside them, where he lacks charisma and is not all that convincing. Doug Liman has spawned a couple of very solid action scenes that are great. Then there are a few passages where the film tries to look cool and like a spy film, and it somehow just doesn't work. But despite all the shallowness and Damon's wooden acting, the civilian level of the "agent without a past" is truly fine, and certainly not without influence regarding the future of Agent 007. I didn't quite understand the magic tricks with the alternative ending, which the creators were planning after 9/11. It's so stupidly correct that I'm honestly glad it didn't make it into the serious version of the film. After all, even the statement of one of the creators that after 9/11, it looked like there would be no more explosions in films is sufficiently telling. Times change, while Agent Bourne and explosions remain. After the first part of the trilogy, I would say: it's pretty good. (14/02/2008)

A traditionally straightforward espionage ride in which director Doug Liman delivers several top-notch action sequences according to modern audience demands. However, the film also relies on a captivating plot that, compared to the original book, may come up short, but in the case of this film, I'm willing to tolerate it because of the brisk pace, which briefly eases in the second third but then picks up full speed again in the end and manages to engulf the viewer throughout the full two-hour runtime. The careful work with the camera, which perfectly captures the action scenes, and the use of a cold color filter that complements the slowly snowing Paris, along with the excellent musical accompaniment by John Powell, are just a few of the film's strengths. Not to mention the precise performances by the cast, where although a young Matt Damon might raise some eyebrows, his minimalist expressions suit the role perfectly. One minor criticism could be directed at the occasional "late" editing, which reveals the stuntmen "catching" falls. However, even after seeing the film more than ten times, it's impossible not to give The Bourne Identity a perfect review with a smile on my face. (21/01/2005)

Matt Damon, with his boyish appearance, doesn't fit into the super agent type, at first glance he looks like an ordinary dude, but when he reveals his fighting skills, you can see what a mistake that impression is. It makes you root for him all the more and relate to him. A superb thriller that does without exploding cars and piled-up corpses. The hand-to-hand fight in Bourne's apartment is one of the best I've seen so far. And not to mention John Powell's great soundtrack would be an unforgivable sin. PS: After a repeat viewing I am forced to throw in the fifth star, this likeable "action flick" has everything such a film requires. And to top it off with a polished script, with some interesting original moments. (02/03/2003)

A great spy action movie with very nice atmosphere and likeable heroes. I don’t know if I have anything to complain about, everything works as it should. It was of course close to five stars, but the overall impression is not strong enough, maybe next time… I’m already looking forward to the sequel. (27/08/2008)