A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: The Bourne Ultimatum

Date Viewed: 8/5/07

Details:

Matt Damon

Julia Stiles

David Strathairn

Scott Glenn

Paddy Considine

Albert Finney

Joan Allen

Director: Paul Greengrass

Score: +

The Review: The most recent entry in the Bourne saga -- after gallivanting all over Europe, and eventually recovering important pieces of memory, Jason Bourne (Damon) heads home to the US of A to confront the people who made him what he is. Of course we know they're in his own agency, so this becomes a nasty internecine war.

Intense, nonstop -- the cinematography is a bit stressful. You have to have a high tolerance for flashy lights, relentlessly unstabilized camera work, and unremitting borderline nausea -- the tracking work to follow Bourne on several chases is both intimate and grueling, and by-the-by gives a much stronger sense of what such pursuits must be like. From watching other films, one would think they are over in 15 seconds; no such luck, here.

Julia Stiles reprises her role from an earlier episode, and Strathairn and Glenn both sink well into slimy self-serving and ass-protecting bureaucrats. Joan Allen is the AIC who eventually brings him in.

(23-Sep-07)

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