Jason Bourne (2016)

Jason Bourne

Dir: Paul Greengrass

It’s strange to say a new Jason Bourne film has hit the screens as the original trilogy is so perfect. The Bourne films fell prey to the Hollywood formula of hoping to milk a successful franchise with a superfluous reboot/sequel/world building feature, more specifically Bourne: Legacy (2012), a forgettable boring mess. But Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon have collaborated once again, to give the Jason Bourne franchise a deserved closing chapter. The original trilogy is an absolute gem and for me I see them as one long journey, in a similar to Lord of the Rings, instead of three separate films. Most notably what this franchise brought to the action genre was the shaky cam effect coupled with a hyper use of edits. This aesthetic provided a disorientating but kinetic use of the camera that was such a revelation, it’s almost commonplace in action movies nowadays. Aside from Greengrass and Doug Liman’s technical choices, the best part of the trilogy is Matt Damon’s central performance. His facial expressions and general look communicate his psychological state so brilliantly that every time I watch the trilogy I am just amazed by how invested I become to Bourne’s plight. And to those who are reading this and have not seen the original Bourne films, go and watch them…like right now. To those however, who do not know what Bourne is about, in the vaguest way possible, Matt Damon’s character is found drifting at the start of Bourne Identity and after regaining consciousness discovers he cannot remember who he is. As the plot develops Matt Damon continues to discover the missing pieces of his past whilst uncovering a much larger agenda at play.

Now almost 10 years after Bourne Ultimatum (2007), the third instalment of the franchise, Greengrass and Damon are back. Even though I was optimistically cautious about this unexpected feature, many cynical cinema-goers may see this as another cash grab with a similar premise whilst bringing nothing new to the franchise. However what was refreshing about this new Bourne film was that it did bring something new to the complexion of the franchise. Interweaving political themes is something that accompanies most of Greengrass’ filmography, such as Green Zone, and this Bourne film like its predecessors has the same threads planted throughout. Moving from an anti-austerity riot in Athens to the corruption of government officials are aspects that really do elevate this feature. Furthermore, the two elements of Jason Bourne I enjoyed the most was again Matt Damon’s performance and the new focus of cybernetics featuring prominently throughout the plot.

Matt Damon provided a ‘Mad Max’ type performance, existing in a gritty world with a face that speaks of a weathered past whilst speaking as little as possible. His magnetic performance is a perfect contrast to CIA director Robert Duey, played by Tommy Lee Jones, whose limited movement throughout the film whether it be sitting down or walking 5 steps then standing still made me smile constantly. Yet I digress, Matt Damon again brings that physicality to his performance whilst maintaining those everyman qualities that make him the perfect representation of Jason Bourne. His performance is something that is consistently of high quality throughout the Bourne series but the new facet brought to the forefront of this instalment is the theme of cybernetics and its intrinsic link to corporate and political corruption. The use of technology has always been something that has existed within the series as a mechanism for both Bourne and the CIA to further the plot. So by bringing the theme of technology to the forefront, it brings something new to the franchise which is always a pivotal part of making any sort of sequel. Finally the character of Heather Lee, played by Alicia Vikander (who recently starred in the exceptional Ex Machina), a charismatic agent who is the head of the cyber-op division of the CIA brings a youthful edge to the feature. Whilst not being any phenomenal, she served a purpose which was performed very well. Which in a way encapsulates this new Bourne film, it is nothing ground breaking on a technical or thematic level but it gave the Bourne series the ending it deserved. A solid hit with great performances, exceptional set pieces and coherent storytelling.