By, Ed Koch
“The Bourne Supremacy”(-) A high-tech stinker.
In the 2002 film, “The Bourne Identity,” Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) suffering from amnesia was pursued by assassins. The search for his identity continues in “The Bourne Supremacy” along with the attempts on his life.
The movie opens in Goa, India. Bourne is living with his girlfriend, Marie Helena (Franka Potente), who also starred with Damon in the first film. The two of them are running for their lives. A Russian oligarch has a trigger man on Bourne’s tail, and CIA agents, fighting with one another, are also trailing him. The action shifts from New York to Italy and finally to Russia, ending with a car chase scene through a tunnel. This scene has been cited as the best since the one that took place in “The French Connection” which, by unanimous agreement, was the mother of all car chases. I was not impressed with Bourne’s car scene.
Damon and Helena’s performances are not extraordinary and the performances of the other actors are only average. Other members of the cast include: Agent Landy (Joan Allen), Nicolette (Julia Stiles), Ward Abbott (Brian Cox), John Nevins (Tim Griffin), and Zorn (Gabriel Mann).
I found the plot, which relies on serendipitous and improbable incidents, to be mindless and a step away from unintelligible. The hand-held camera technique, similar to that used on the television show “NYPD Blue,” is used in the movie. While it added a snappy, fast-paced effect and worked for that show, it doesn’t save this film.
All in all, “The Bourne Supremacy” is a forgettable movie and one that you can skip.
“Transfixed” (-)
This French Film Noir contains references to transvestites, incest, pedophilia, prostitution, pimps, a serial murderer similar to Jack the Ripper, and good and bad cops. It’s hard to believe that such a film could be so boring, but it is.
The movie takes place in Brussels, Belgium. The major character is Bo (Robinson Stevenin) a transvestite in love with a drug dealer, Johnny (Stephane Metzger). Johnny beats her up and rejects her attempts to seduce him. The acting is neither good nor bad, and certainly no scene was charged with a special energy because of the performances.
The story could not have been more volatile and yet so dull. From the crawl credits, it appears as though it might have been made for television. (In French, with English subtitles.)
– Ed Koch
