KILLERS AND HAND-HELD CAMERAS
Doug Liman's 2002 thriller The Bourne Identity took many by surprise, thanks to its intelligent approach to Robert Ludlum's now-cliche spy genre conventions. I myself waited until it came out on video, wary of the film's good notices lest they be overreactions to a film that did little more than avoid playing to the cheap seats. Truth be told, Liman delivered the goods, discarding much of the original story in favor of a smart script and gripping action of a decidedly anti-Bruckheimer persuasion. Matt Damon impressed with his physicality; playing a brainwashed superspy who has lost his memory, his presence was completely believable-each movement a textbook example of economy and effectiveness, selling the notion that this was a man whose hardwired instincts could take over when necessary.

As the sequel begins, Jason Bourne is living off the grid in India with Marie (Franka Potente), his love interest from the first film. Their peaceful existence is short-lived, however, as an assassin dispatched by a Russian crime boss with unknown motives is determined to track Bourne down. Meanwhile, Bourne is framed for the killing of a CIA agent, bringing him to the attention of Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), a mid-level CIA staffer who was in charge of the busted op and feels responsible for the death of the agent. Bourne's file is sealed, but Landy tracks down Ward Abbott (Brian Cox), who was in charge of Treadstone, the top-secret program which trained Bourne. At first, Abbott refuses to help Landy, but orders from higher up force them to work together to track down Bourne, who has traveled to Berlin to find the source of troubling flashbacks to pieces of his past life as a killer. As events unfold, Landy realizes that there may be more to the story than Abbott is telling her; meanwhile, Bourne is on the run from a CIA dragnet and the mysterious Russian assassin.

For this installment of the surprisingly popular series, Paul Greengrass takes over as director. His style is similar enough to Liman's to instill a feeling of continuity with the first film, with great atmospheric shots of gray, rainy European cities advancing a classic spy-movie vibe. Greengrass and his cinematographer Oliver Wood take a markedly different approach to shooting the action, however. Where Liman's action was shot with an eye toward describing the geography of a fight or car chase (I found the hand-to-hand particularly impressive), Greengrass-as he did in the excellent Bloody Sunday-relies on shaky hand-held camerawork to impart a "you are there" feeling of speed and disorientation, to mixed effect. Sometimes, as in a car chase that ups the ante on the chase from the first film, the almost impressionistic camerawork is thrilling. Elsewhere, as in a fistfight between Bourne and a fellow Treadstone agent, it's mostly confusing. I disagree with those who point to Supremacy as an example of the flashy cutting that's come to dominate Hollywood action spectacles, however. Greengrass is doing something completely different here-using almost experimental techniques to create a first-person perspective, not relying on editing tricks to artificially pump up the excitement to the detriment of logic and storytelling. Wood's shots always include flashes of just enough information to momentarily get your bearings-the implication is that this is the information Bourne is processing; if we had been trained as black-ops warriors, we would be able to react with Bourne's speed and decisiveness.

On close inspection, many of the plot details don't hold up. How, for example, does Bourne acquire the high-tech equipment he uses to get the upper hand against his enemies? He can't remember anything about his past, but he knows where to get the latest in spycraft toys-right. Later in the film, Landy seems to know that Abbott is responsible for a pivotal event without any supporting evidence. There's also a bit of a dramatic misstep in a coda that's meant to give Bourne closure with the daughter of a victim of his Treadstone work-it doesn't really work dramatically, and we're left to wonder how what amounts to a simple, "Hi, I killed your father-sorry," is supposed to enhance our sympathy for the character.

Overall, however, Supremacy pleases in the same ways as its predecessor. It's a lean thriller that doesn't assume its audience is comprised chiefly of brain-dead fourteen year-olds, told with great style and atmosphere; a middle ground between Ian Fleming and John LeCarre. It's a popcorn flick for folks who want something just a bit meatier than the next effects extravaganza.


Advance reports in the press for Michael Mann's new film Collateral centered on its co-star, Tom Cruise, finally playing an outright bad guy. Yet anyone familiar with Mann's work knows that he likes to keep the moral compass spinning, blurring the traditional definitions of good guys and bad guys. Cruise's Nietzschean hitman Vincent is a model of self-actualization, a man of action whose determination and dedication to getting the job done right won't let him get derailed by such trivial concerns as conscience and morality. Contrast with Max (Jamie Foxx), the cabbie Vincent hijacks in order to complete his night's work of eliminating several key witnesses in an upcoming trial. Max is a guy who's been talking about starting his own business for twelve years but can't seem to get everything set up just as he wants it. Over the course of what has to be the worst single night since After Hours, the timid Max goes on something of a journey of self-discovery, becoming a man of action thanks to Vincent's goading, experiencing a sort of rebirth through violence by the end.

Cruise, an actor who's always solid yet often seems to be trying a little too hard, is in fact quite good here. He doesn't use his "amped up" persona (a la Magnolia or Jerry Maguire)-Vincent is always focused and in control, knowing exactly what he wants and how to go about getting it. Foxx gets the juicier of the parts, and does a great job with it, not overplaying Max's deficiencies. He's just a guy that has dreams but is too unsure of himself to accomplish them. Credit writer Stuart Beattie for not including a big emotional blow-up scene that triggers Max's transformation. It's more believable because it Max reacts to each successive horrific event in character, and we see them gradually piling up on the psyche of this gentle person until he reaches a critical point. And that's it-it's basically a two man piece. We get some nice moments from Jada Pinkett Smith, Irma P. Hall, Javier Bardem, and Mark Ruffalo, but they're basically cameos.

The real star of the film is the camerawork, credited to Dion Beebe and Paul Cameron (Beebe left the project early in production)-something I never expected to say about a film shot digitally. The hi-def digital allowed the film to be shot at night using primarily available light. This creates a nocturnal atmosphere that is, as far as I know, unmatched in film. The action takes place in the close quarters of Max's cab, in back alleys and nightclubs, lit by the orange glow of sodium lights on the LA streets, none of which look like movie sets. All of it looks great and real at the same time, and though there are some video artifacts and other blemishes, they are easily forgiven when one takes the package as a whole. Mann's other films have all been marked by great cinematography; here the art is less evident but more visceral.

Not to give away too much about the ending, but this is Collateral's biggest misstep. What begins as a witty, character driven piece that could almost have been performed as a stage play ends in typical Hollywood action movie fashion, as if the writer (or studio executives) felt that the film couldn't sustain itself without a cliche showdown between protagonist and antagonist with a girl at stake. It doesn't ruin the film, but I have to wonder about the truly great film that might have been with a different ending. At the root, Collateral is a meditation on morality and purpose, on our responsibilities to other humans, and on the ways in which we make our marks on the world. An ending other than the usual action movie denouement might have served these weighty themes better. Though there is a nice circularity between Cruise's final scene and a seemingly offhanded comment he makes early in the film.

Between Collateral and The Bourne Supremacy, moviegoers have been treated to a couple of thoughtful, adult-oriented action pictures. I can only hope that this is the beginning of a trend.