The Bourne Ultimatum - 2007

Directed By: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Albert Finney, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Joan Allen,

Matt Damon is an actor who has great range and versatility. But in the years and decades to come he will become defined as the actor who played Jason Bourne, because so perfect is he in the role that its hard to imagine any other actor ever having played it (Identity was turned down by Ben Affleck as he’d just made Paycheck). Five years on from his first portrayal of amnesia suffering assassin in The Bourne Identity and Matt Damon has grown from a boy into a man. And man who’d break your neck if you crossed him, probably with a hardback book.

In a summer full of bloated threequels, Damon himself, in the Bourne Ultimatum, is starring in his second of the summer, its incredible how fresh, creative and brilliant this film is. Returning behind the camera is director Paul Greengrass, who since The Bourne Supremacy, has been picking up an Oscar for the masterpiece United 93. And together Damon and Greegrass have delivered the greatest summer blockbuster, not only of this year, but of many previous years as well. In fact, this is the first example of a threequel I can think of which is better than both its two predecessors. As each Supremacy improved slightly on Identity, Ultimatum takes a giant in the right direction for ultimatum. Picking up almost exactly where Supremacy left off, though the notable epilogue with Bourne in America and finding out his true identity is a somewhat forgotten, with Bourne injured and struggling through the streets of Moscow. Before long were Bourne has found a new purpose, and he’s in London following a lead. Cue the most tense and suspense filled sequence of the year and one of the best ever, as Bourne uses nothing but his brains and a mobile phone to thwart the CIA. Once you’ve sat through this most riveting of sequences it’s hard to imagine what’s going to come next and whether or not you’ll be able to handle it. Suffice to say, as Bourne continues to trek from London to Madrid to Tangiers and finally New York, you’ll have little time to take break or even settle, so fast paced this film is.

What makes this film so enjoyable and devoid of any form of repetitiveness is the driving force that is Jason Bourne. While the film contains its prerequisite fight scenes and car chases, it’s Damon’s iconic performance and Greengrass’ superior direction which raises this film above all the summer competition. What’s more, this is a film focused on its narrative objective, not pandering to audience expectation, or trying to hit a certain demographic. So intent on being a film which is all its own that some audiences may find the handheld camerawork disorientating or even nauseating. And yet, with its immediacy, I couldn’t imagine another way to capture this story. The fight sequences are brutal, but visceral, the camera often missing what’s happening. Greengrass’ direction thrusts you directly into the action, so you feel each punch and kick, and then afterwards wonder how the fight was won. It the same with the trademark car chase, and although it never rivals those in the previous two instalments, its brutality makes you feel slightly sick, and exhilarated all the same.

The supporting cast is all commendable, Julia Stiles, returns becoming the only character to feature in all three bar Damon himself and a clever, if somewhat distracting plot development reveals more about Bourne’s past before he became Bourne. David Strathairn takes over from Chris Cooper and Brian Cox as the ruthless, CIA executive looking to take Bourne down to cover his own back and Albert Finney joins the cast in a cameo as an integral character from Bourne’s past. But the most attention needs to be paid to Joan Allen, bringing more screen time and thus more empathy to Bourne’s plight, the only member of CIA it seems not intent on sacrificing every man they have in some half baked scheme to stop Bourne.

But what makes this franchise so compelling and in particular this final instalment such genius is Jason Bourne himself. A character of few words and many actions, Damon has managed to instil in him a humanity and vulnerability you rarely get from the likes of James Bond. As Bourne seeks out more about his past, we in turn grow more and emphatic too his dilemma. One defining moment comes after just killing an assassin in a brutal and dangerous fistfight. Bourne looks down, almost in disgust at what’s he’s down only to notice Nikki (Stiles) looking at him shocked. There’s no quip, no McClane sarcasm, just honest realisation that he has taken a life. It’s almost as if Bourne has become ashamed of what he can and does on such a regular occurrence. Bourne’s closest comparison in 24’s Jack Bauer. No suave, sexy killing machine or sarcastic witty underdog, but instead a character instilled with such humanity as to be haunted by every kill they’ve made. And it’s to credit of Matt Damon that he pulls this off so successfully.

Bourne’s final (hopefully) instalment of the best action franchise since Bruce Willis pulled on a vest, enjoys its finest couple of hours in the stand out summer blockbusters aiming for big bucks, by sticking to guns and providing a heart thumping, action classic that not even a reboot James Bond can touch.