The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Director: Paul Greengrass
Writers: Robert Ludlum (Novel), Tony Gilroy (Screenplay)
Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, Brian Cox, Gabriel Mann, Karl Urban
Alright so I continue my reviews of the Bourne movie series with the Bourne Supremacy. Set two years after the Bourne Identity, we’re introduced a CIA team running an intel operation in Germany. Naturally, it doesn’t take long before an assassin comes and destroys the whole operation with a few bullets. Looking for vengeance and answers, CIA Deputy Director Pam Landy (Allen) discovers a single fingerprint at the crime scene and after some hefty computer work connects it to a name: Jason Bourne.
The problem is that the real Bourne (Damon) is living a relatively simple life in India with his girlfriend Marie (Potente). Not everything’s copacetic as he still struggling with the revelations he discovered in the last film. Compounding those issues, are flashes of a memory concerning his very first “job” he did years ago. It doesn’t take long before the threads from the Berlin story interrupt Bourne’s life in some pretty shocking ways and he’s on track to make good on a promise he made to his pursuers near the end of the first film.
Paul Greengrass builds a great deal on what Doug Liman started but truly makes his presence known. He replaces Liman’s focus on style (intended or not) and gives the film a more realistic look. His camera work really stands out especially in some of the action scenes and his utilization of shaky cam. His pacing was also impressive as he avoids wasting too much time on setup while providing enough info for first-time viewers to minimize any feelings of confusion.
Damon carries the film again as Bourne. He makes the viewer empathize with Bourne’s struggles with his memories and perception of identity. What’s interesting about this performance is that while he is still unsure about his past, he’s more than aware of his talents and capabilities.
Potente doesn't have much to do this time around but does well with what’s she’s given. Julia Stiles also performs decently enough. As Nicky Parsons, one of Bourne’s tenuous links to the past, she relays a small but vital piece of information to Bourne that points him toward the people he’s hunting. Allen definitely has the strongest female presence in not only this film but in the entire series. Her character could have been simply one-track minded and cliché but she gives Landy a great deal of intelligence. The chemistry between her and Damon is the more interesting of any two characters in the film and you realize how evenly matched they are while they both seek justice and answers. Brian Cox gives a great performance as Ward Abbott despite less screen time. Certain revelations shed light on his association with the Treadstone Program in the first place and the guy proves he's more than some desk jockey.
Writer Tony Gilroy is again in top form. Drawing on some plot elements from the original novel, he still makes some gutsy decisions that take the film series off the path that Ludlum created in the novels while still maintaining the essence of the book.
John Powell’s music, especially in the film’s reflective moments, truly enhances the movie experience. The music he uses in a scene near the end was so that I actually played the scene just so I could catch the whole experience one more time. With the exception of Moby’s “Extreme Ways” (which appears at the end of every movie in the series), the music had an operatic vibe that I found truly entertaining.
There is one flaw I would like to comment on: The sometimes indistinguishable nature of the settings. For a movie that takes the characters all over Europe as well as India and New York, many of the scenes seemed remarkably interchangeable rather. Granted, there were noted differences via the writing but it was hard to tell because of the mostly dark lighting.
Despite its flaws, the Bourne Supremacy still ranks as one of the better recent sequels out there. It represents the very best of the spy genre and will maintain your interest for the 100 plus minutes.
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