The film begins with a man being pulled from the sea by a fishing vessel; he’s sustained two bullet wounds and has lost all recollection of who he is, his sole clue to his past being an account number in Switzerland. It's possibly the finest espionage thriller ever made, and Matt Damon embodies Jason Bourne perfectly—I honestly can’t imagine anyone else taking on that part. If you’re unfamiliar with this movie, I str…

After being pulled from the water by a fishing vessel and having medical treatment for wounds in his back, Matt Damon’s character sets out to discover what occurred. The problem is that he doesn't know his own identity. Fortunately, the person who saved him possesses surgical expertise; along with removing the bullets, they extract a device containing information about a Swiss bank account—a detail that provides a na…

The spy movie landscape shifted when *The Bourne Identity* arrived, bringing a sense of authenticity and intensity back to the genre. While James Bond was involved in outlandish scenarios and Ethan Hunt was performing increasingly improbable stunts, this film took a different approach. Director Doug Liman cast Matt Damon—previously known for roles like the one in *Saving Private Ryan*—as a man thrust into an acti…

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen The Bourne Identity, but it remains a really good action-thriller. Matt Damon is ideal in the main role; as far as I remember, he wasn’t widely known for anything other than dramatic parts back then. There were problems with what they did with the later movies, particularly in TBU, where it seemed like Bourne and Nicki (Julia Stiles) had a history together, but it seems mor…