Jun. 16, 2002 - 2:52 am

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The Bourne Identity (2002)

so i wasn't really too intent on seeing this film after seeing the preview at the theater a couple of times. it looked like they were stealing too many pieces of Lola Rennt (1998). Franka Potente, who stars in this movie with Matt Damon was also in that film. they used a song from the soundtrack of Lola Rennt, Franka herself, a car crashing through a pane of glass on the street, stuff like that. so i didn't like the look of it. but my German friend Anne suggested that i needed to go see this for her benefit. we both like Franka and many of the movies she's been in. she says this film won't come out in Germany until probably 2005 (she's just kidding. it's actually set for October of this year.) but even then it will be dubbed in German. so she wanted to know how Franka does in this film and how good her English is.

well, i think she was great in this film, just as she always is. her character is very sweet and kind, but she's also intelligent and can take care of herself. of course she and Matt Damon's character get interested in each other, and it's done in a believeable way (although i'd say it's more because of her acting than his). i'm not a big fan of Matt Damon. his best work was in Good Will Hunting (1997). oh, but he was also quite good in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and Ocean's Eleven (2001). so i guess i actually have mixed feelings about him.

it was a good combination with Franka though. she can make any romance work i think. and her English was very good. i love hearing Europeans speak English. i thought at the beginning she was supposed to be an American or something because Jason Bourne meets her in the American embassy in Zurich. but you later find out that she's actually supposed to be German, but she just speaks very good English. she totally still has her German accent in this film, and i think the only word she wasn't saying correctly was "address". wow, talk about some detail coming from me this evening.

so this movie is about a CIA agent who is found unconscious floating in the sea. he is picked up by fishermen, but can't remember who he is. we know he's an agent, but he doesn't until near the end. we also actively watch as the CIA is trying to track him down and kill him, basically because they don't understand what the hell he's doing. the plot's a little shaky in that aspect.

there was a lot of good action stuff here, some random funny parts like the part where a guy just jumps out of a window like a moron after he gets beat up by Matt Damon's character, one of the best car chases i've ever seen, and a few ripoffs from Lola Rennt. i'm giving it a 6/10. it was one of those movies where it kept me entertained the whole time, but i don't feel like i would've really been missing out on much if i hadn't ever seen it. see, i do watch some new movies at the theater after all. oh, and just in case anyone ever sees this movie and wonders, the answer to the question, "What's the French word for steakout?" the answer is: la surveillance.