The Bourne Identity.

Review #1852: The Bourne Identity.

Cast: 

Matt Damon (Jason Bourne / David Webb), Franka Potente (Marie Kreutz), Chris Cooper (Alexander Conklin), Clive Owen (The Professor), Brian Cox (Ward Abbott), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Nykwana Wombosi), Gabriel Mann (Danny Zorn), Julia Stiles (Nicolette "Nicky" Parsons), Orso Maria Guerrini (Giancarlo), Tim Dutton (Eamon), Nicky Naude (Castel), Russell Levy (Manheim), and Vincent Franklin (Rawlins) Directed by Doug Liman (#1064 - Jumper (2008), #1256 - Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and #1569 - Edge of Tomorrow)

Review: 

The movie is a loose adaptation of the 1980 novel of the same name by Robert Ludlum. He did not have his first novel published until he was over forty years old, as he actually served as a theatrical actor and producer before finding a desire to make a living with writing; his writing may have been influenced by his experiences there, as he once stated that good theater and suspense were quite similar to him). An adaptation of the novel had occurred once before in 1988 that featured Richard Chamberlain as Bourne, which aired as a three-hour television movie on ABC. The basic premise of the novel is the key element retained here, since the novel was done during the Cold War with a lead threat involving terrorist "Carlos the Jackal", as the book includes newspaper articles from 1975 of his crimes (apparently, the Bourne in the book was actually a double-agent killed by the lead character before he assumed Bourne's identity to draw out an assassin). Ludlum followed this novel with two further books; after his death in 2001, with the approval of Ludlum's estate, new novels with the Bourne character were commissioned. After the success of his film Swingers (1996), Liman expressed interest in making a film adaptation of Bourne, and he wrote an outline, complete with taking inspiration for the CIA operation detail from the memoirs of Arthur L. Liman, chief counsel for the Senate investigation of the Iran-Contra Affair in the 1980s. Development would take a number of years in securing the rights to the novel alongside production; the final script was done by Tony Gilroy and William Blake Herron. The film was originally set to release in 2001, but the attacks on September 11 led to the producers deciding to alter the opening and ending sequences (which apparently featured flashbacks). The movie would prove quite successful, leading to further Bourne movies such as The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Bourne Legacy (2012), and Jason Bourne (2016), with all but one featuring Damon.

It is the kind of character-driven action movie where one seems to watch a man get calmer when things become more intense. As a different road presented when compared to spy movies such as James Bond or the Mission: Impossible series, it stands out pretty stark with its touch of action alongside its thriller aspect. It basically rolls along the lines of a noir (to the point where it has been thought to be a "neo-noir) with its slow unravel of mystery that manages to pull off the tightrope of balancing character interest with action that doesn't see one wanting more of either. The car chase in Paris alongside the hand-to-hand sequences are good ones to highlight in that regard. While Liman did not get to any of the sequels, he did serve as a producer on a number of them, while Gilroy would write the next two features, and it is evident that Identity makes for a good start to seeing further burrowing into who the lead character is without baiting itself. At the heart of that is Damon, who prior to this had been involved with films such as Good Will Hunting and Saving Private Ryan (interestingly, one actor who rejected the role before Damon was Brad Pitt, who did his own thing with Spy Game, released in 2001). Damon does pretty good here with the role required, one that is confused by the very idea that they can just have a hazardous situation thrust onto them and not bat an eye when solving it carefully. Sure, there is vulnerability present here, but the main idea is that we have a capable lead trying to find themselves more so than any random objective, and he also handles the action sequences with effectiveness. Potente, wrapped in the middle of all this, fares fairly well in meaningful patience, one who seems capable in being paired with Damon in general reaction (such as when she sees a man jump out a window). In a sense, Cooper is the adversary of the film, since he is the one trying to deal with a wayward agent. He approaches the material with steely timing and determination that matches differently on a spy movie without a willing spy, especially when Cooper and Cox are present together. The rest of the cast includes quiet adversaries such as Owen and mildly interesting side folks like Stiles or an outspoken Akinnuoye-Agbaje. At any rate, a movie like this works best when on its feet, for which the movie shuffles along with careful efficiency in 119 minutes with general effectiveness that makes for a fairly solid action-thriller that stands pretty well two decades after its release.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Hustlers

Review #1661: Hustlers.

Cast:

Constance Wu (Destiny), Jennifer Lopez (Ramona Vega), Julia Stiles (Elizabeth), Keke Palmer (Mercedes), Lili Reinhart (Annabelle), Lizzo (Liz), Cardi B (Diamond), Mercedes Ruehl (Mama), Wai Ching Ho (Destiny's grandmother), Madeline Brewer (Dawn), Trace Lysette (Tracey), Mette Towley (Justice), Frank Whaley (Reese), Paul Nielsen (Detective Hunter), Brandon Keener (Alpha), and Steven Boyer (Doug) Written and Directed by Lorene Scafaria.

Review:

"There’s a responsibility to the truth and what really happened, and it’s not a black and white story, after all.”

Time is an important thing to think about when it comes to a film and its story. After all, it has only been two years since the release of this film, but one wonders how much it will be remembered, much less the person behind it with Lorene Scafaria, fresh off her third feature film (well, two years is still fresh, in this decade...). The New Jersey native was interested in writing from a young age; in fourth grade, for example, she would find interest in "inventing" a book to write a report on in order to win free pizza for those who read the most books (with ensuing reports) - by high school, she would become interested in acting and writing her own plays (inspired by playwrights such as David Mamet) and fiction, for which she would write her first play at 17. She studied for a year at Lafayette College (where she briefly honed time to be involved with plays) before tuition troubles led her to transfer to Montclair State University, for which she studied in English that focused on playwriting and fiction. Prior to entering directing, she had been involved with acting alongside writing for theater productions before entering film with a screenplay adaptation in Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008), and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) was her feature debut. The film is inspired by the article "The Hustlers at Scores", which was written by Jessica Pressler in 2015 based on true events that had an interview from Roselyn Keo (the operator of the business end of targeting wealthy clients) that led to jail-time for two workers and probation for others involving substances and stolen money, which involved conspiracy, grand larceny, assault and forgery (incidentally, one of the ringleaders ended up writing a book about their experiences). Not long after its publication, the rights to make the film were acquired by Gloria Sanchez Productions (with Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay serving as producers, alongside others that joined later like Lopez). Scafaria was attracted by the article in the "fascinating friendship story at its core", complete with the perspective of the article writer involved alongside the subject at hand. When Scafaria had finished the script in 2017, she was not exactly the first one in mind to direct the feature, with producers initially seeking out directors that were familiar with the type of genre the script fell into, which included asking Martin Scorsese (who declined) and thoughts about Adam McKay (who served as one of the producers of the film) - it took a sizzle reel created by Scafaria alongside editor Kayla Emter to help convince the producers to have Scafaria be the director.

Perhaps it should not be surprising that it took some time to attract attention from studios to get the film made, as they could see the commercial value but had un-comfortability with the subject matter (as if one needs to make sure that the marks have to also all be worthy of being so, despite the fact that the film is playing by the beats of an article), in addition to the judgement shared of the profession at hand (not reporting the terrible things that have happened to them is a different story), and the article itself started out by describing those folks as "(mostly) rich, (usually) disgusting, (in their minds) pathetic men" - basically, it is a film of supply and demand. The film has its touches that might make one think of a modern-day Robin Hood tale or (indirectly) Goodfellas (1990). With films like The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and The Big Short (2015), perhaps one really does in an age of scammer-infused curiosity for entertainment. Consider the perspective of Kao, who in an interview about her life after ending the hustle, stated "I think a lot of women are rooting for me even though I was wrong.” (conversely, two of the women involved with the scheme want nothing to do with the limelight while the other sued the filmmakers for defamation - she lost, naturally). Oh sure, the music also probably plays a small part in the interest, since Scafaria intended it to help tell the story that would range from Janet Jackson to Bob Seger (naturally, the musical inclinations will differ for some, since I dig "Night Moves" more than anything). In the end, what matters most is what you get out of the experience) when it comes to a story with a perspective that is not usually told often - in that sense, it makes for a fine movie. It never quite reaches any major heights beyond a few clever moments within the crime angle and occasional charm, but there is an undeniable allure to the performances that come out within the main quartet that make for a dazzling curiosity with its look upon a world that might have people as mercenary as the folks on Wall Street that they ended up dealing with. Wu, best known for her starring roles in Fresh Off the Boat (2015–2020) and Crazy Rich Asians (2018), manages to hold pretty well to drawing one in as the focus without being lost in the lights and the other noted names behind her, having a carefully controlled sense of confidence that leads the story along with care. Lopez is of course the other side of the leading coin, and she delivers quite well on a captivating performance, one that dazzles in ruthless charm that strings the viewer with interest from the very first scene she is in (a dance scene, perhaps fittingly), and it is clear to see why she was Scafaria's first choice for the role, since she walks right through it with ease in amorality. Honestly, my quibble doesn't exist with Stiles but rather just my disagreement with the need for the journalist to be included as part of the story in the first place - it's an okay performance, mostly just there for little moments with Wu probing about the events that happened, but it just never really clicks to anything other than one just nodding their head (while trying to not drone the inevitable "X didn't do that in its crime story" statement in my head). Palmer and Reinhart finish the main group just fine, while cameos from folks such as Lizzo and Ruehl serve the film in atmosphere well enough. At any rate, it was interesting to have the article on hand (for research) to see what ended up being used anyway, for which there are quite a handful of excerpts that are shown for the film that prove fairly accurate, such as the man who liked one of the girls because of pretty penmanship and is then called out of the blue years later by our main lead (as part of a "Get Money" list), the listing of where the money goes when it comes to pay for the workers (minus expenses for the DJ, etc...), and even the events with a sympathetic unlucky client (who had a recording!) that starts a case against the girls that is accentuated by further tabloid cases of others (such as a cardiologist who apparently had a $130,000 bill from four trips to a club that did not want to pay). In any case, 110 minutes is just enough to keep the crime story fairly interesting, wrapped with a bit of introspection about the nature of the con at hand and the drive for more in a scenario that practically (but not literally) invited it. It never wavers on itself for too long to collapse, making for interesting entertainment that will attract those who seek a fair crime story with a distinct perspective and style to go with it to make for a good time.

Next Time: For the last film of the month, we reach the new decade with Wander Darkly.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars