Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
Frosty Skywalker is one of those long time spies here at AICN who amazes me. The man of a thousand faces, he attends more test screenings than Joe Farrell. From time to time, he actually deigns to send us something after one of the screenings. Today is one of those good days, and this may be the first test screening result I've heard from this particular film. Sorry I missed Frosty's recent STAR WARS party, but that damnable Holmes and I had a meeting at the top of a waterfall that afternoon...
Hey Harry,
Frosty Skywalker here.
I figured someone else must have been in the screening a few nights ago and would have written in but.....
So I am writing in to do a real quick review of the new Doug Limon flick The Bourne Identity. In case someone does not know, Doug Limon directed Swingers and Go. The flick ran about 2 hours, and was really tight. Stars Matt Damon, the girl from Run Lola Run, Julia Stiles, and Chris Cooper.
One of the greatest things about living in LA is these screenings. As we all know movie trailers nowadays destroy any reason to even see the movie. If there is a flick I am planning on seeing if the trailer comes on I will change the channel, or in the theater I will just not watch it. That is how much I hate these trailers...please Hollywood....learn....people do not want the movie spoiled.
Anyway, getting back to the screening. Right when the movie was about to start they told us what we would be seeing. I had no idea what it was about, didn't know who was in it, and had no idea where the film would go. Makes the movie that much better. Not knowing anything really pulls you in. Especially a good suspense action flick.
So I really don't want to spoil this movie because I thought it was really well done and a solid action thriller. But here is the very beginning, it is a quick set up to what the movie is all about....basically the movie opens with Matt Damon being pulled from the Ocean onto a fishing boat. After having some gun shot wounds cleaned up he comes to and realizes he has total amnesia. While the gun shots were cleaned up the guy who was helping him finds something buried below the skin, it is a laser type pointer with the words Munich and a bank account number. From there Matt's character is trying to figure out who he is, how he got there, and why everyone is after him.
The film is shot all throughout Europe, in Paris, Munich, and on some beautiful snowy roads. Doug Limon's camera work is really well done. On the action sequences he gives you distance, so as the scene unfolds you can see all around, taking in all the beautiful scenery, especially in Paris, during one hell of a car chase. And on the close up scenes he shoots in an almost NYPD blue type way, shaky camera, and with the real locations, the film really pulled me in.
One of the reasons I really believed in this movie is the locations. You cannot overemphasize the importance of locations. Watching Matt's character stroll through Europe and not through some bullshit soundstage makes all the difference in the world.
So I really enjoyed the movie, I believed what the film was trying to sell. The only problem I had was Julia Stiles character. After you find out what the film is about, and you find out who she is portraying, I think most people will agree with me that she was cast as a box office draw, rather than as a good fit for the character.
My new way of summing up a movie is what would I pay to see it. Matinee, or evening? Theater or video? Purchase or rent? I would pay full price to see the flick in a theater. The film was worth my time.
Frosty Skywalker
