The Bourne Identity

The Bourne franchise got off to a cracking start with this energetic opening instalment from former indie director Doug Liman (Swingers). Based on the novel by Robert Ludlum, it stars Matt Damon as an amnesiac who's found floating half-dead in the Mediterranean with no means of identification, except for a device embedded in his hip containing a Swiss bank account number. Unaware that he's actually a top CIA assassin, he heads for Zurich to investigate, facing cops and government killers as his employers try to wipe out their now renegade operative. Despite a routine plot, the film is fast-paced and slickly executed, and makes intelligent use of a sharp, well-fleshed out script. Damon takes to his smart action hero role with ease, and there's gutsy support from Franka Potente as his love interest.