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Quite rarely do sequels live up to the original film but The Bourne Supremacy does so (The Bourne Identity was the first film) as amnesia-afflicted superspy Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) returns for some further encounters in the ruthless, cut-throat world of espionage and counter-espionage. This time former CIA assassin Bourne is holidaying in India (read Goa) with his perky girlfriend Marie (Franka Potenta). But their idyllic vacation is soon interrupted by the appearance of a cold-blooded Russian hit man. Worse still, Bourne is framed for the murder of a couple of American agents. So he’s on the run. That he loses his girlfriend is probably meant to allow him to run faster. The CIA operatives follow him to a host of exotic destinations like Naples, Amsterdam, Berlin and Munich and layer-by-layer one sees the intrigue within the agency. Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) is hell-bent on nailing Borne but is she being framed by the higher-ups in the Agency? An overbearing government official Ward Abbott (Brian Cox) also seems suspect. With electronic surveillance lending a new dimension, the plot gets more and more curious and British director Paul Greengrass infuses the film with a staccato-like pace. Bourne’s amnesia adds to the suspense. With a hand-held camera used to great advantage and a frantic editing style, the action never lets up. But for all its visual razzle-dazzlery The Bourne Supremacy does not miss out on the content. There are red herrings and liberal doses of suspense to buttress the action. This 100-odd minute entertainer goes round full circle and has a neat little anecdotal tailpiece. There is a ring of Spy Game in its realism or even of Le Carre’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Matt Damon is able to hold the film together with a brilliant if somewhat enigmatic performance. Franka Potenta sadly makes an early exit but Joan Allen and Bruce Cox do justice to their cameos. May be the no-let-up action is a bit overdone and has a numbing effect, but Robert Ludlum (the author of The Bourne Supremacy) fans won’t mind. So too will hardcore action fans. Yet, it is the what-happens-next that is its best selling point and of course that Run Lola Run tempo. Worth watching. |
