Jason Bourne

Bourne, again...

Last night I had the chance for a 'Dad's Night Out' with one of my friends, Tom. We decided to go and see the latest film in the Bourne franchise, Jason Bourne, on a late showing as that allowed us to get most of the parental things out of the way before we went out.

The Vue Cinema in York was pretty deserted when we arrived around half past nine; perhaps the first week of the holidays or the fact that it was the later half of the showings affected the numbers there, or maybe it's just not what the cool kids do anymore. Popcorn and drinks purchased, we settled down to watch the film.

The Bourne films have always had a visceral, direct and gritty feel. Yes, the action scenes are extreme, but they never quite pushed past the limits of credibility the way that Bond films used to, before The Bourne Identity forced a change upon them. Watching them back recently, in preparation for playing the Dracula Dossier at LongCon, they didn't seem to have dated significantly. The fourth film, The Bourne Legacy, although very much a re-tread of the first film, still manages to have an energy and attitude that sets it apart. Of course, Paul Greengrass' direction and cinematic style seen in the second, third and now fifth film, give a really unique near documentary feel.

Jason Bourne delivers what you'd expect and want from a film in this franchise. From the start, the action and plot grips you, pushing you forward with little chance to catch your breath. Bourne is contacted by an old ally from the first film, who has information that may help him to piece together his back story. When we first see him, he's a lost man, with no purpose, no drive; a man moving along a path of self-destruction; a man who has become visibly worn and aged from the experiences he's been through.

The story snakes through Athens with anti-austerity riots, to Berlin, London and then to the USA. The backdrop is a post-Snowdon, Wikileaks and Facebook world, and the underlying story is about privacy in the modern world. It's also a story about Bourne discovering his past, finding the reasons why certain events occurred that put him on the path he travels. The knowledge brings understanding, pain, but not resolution.

One thing that is noticeable is how little dialogue Matt Damon has to speak as Jason Bourne. His tale is more told through action, expression and the words of others. It's a clever use of exposition rather than narrative.

The action sequences include some of the most spectacular car chases that you'll ever see in Athens and Las Vegas; Bourne certainly isn't low profile in this and the likely body count would have been huge.

The story ends, as ever, satisfyingly and ambiguously, with Bourne’s parting shot a reminder never to underestimate him. There's definitely scope for another film, a story yet untold.

31 July 2016