The Weekly Review: 24/06/2012

A weekly round-up of what I have been watching, listening to and discussing. Rather than just posts about film, this is a bit more all-encompassing as I think my interest in cinema and art crosses over and between a variety of sources...

Very few films this week. I have been completely immersed in The Simpsons. Blame a boxset I have not watched yet. Blame a fantastic Season 8. Blame whatever you like, but film ultimately took a back seat.

Highlight of the Week

The Lammys: It really has kicked off this week. I love this time of year and I'm excited about the future of The LAMB. We've yet to hear from the LAMB who is Best Blog, but I think it has been a fascinating year with some great outcomes. For me personally, what I'm going to do, is go through my Google Reader and stop following a huge bunch of blogs because I have realised I am losing track. I have followed too many and therefore don't use it as effectively. I don't visit some sites that I 'joined' years ago whilst there are many blogs out there which I don't visit often enough (or realised I don't even follow) - and clearly should. Specifically, I hope to become much more active on French Toast Sunday, Cinema Sights and Fog's Movie Reviews. These are site which, though I knew about, for some reason or another I haven't given enough time too. But this will change now. I'm also spending [possibly too much] time on the LAMB forums, which is alot of fun. If you are a LAMB, get in on that: http://thelambforums.proboards.com/index.cgi

DVD's/Blu-Rays/Cinema

Warrior: Yeah, it was alright. But I felt the entire film was like a tick-list. Imagine the boardroom meeting: "How can we have twice as many fights as a normal boxing movie?"/"I know, lets show two characters with their own separate stories in a martial-arts-type-boxing tournament". Two more characters in the story and the film would simply show every match in the tournament!

The Bourne Identity: I will re-release my negative overview of this film. I stand by the film being weaker than the sequels, but I think I "get" why people like it now.

The Bourne Supremacy: The strongest story in the franchise. So far.

The Bourne Ultimatum: The best action-sequences in the franchise. Bring on Jeremey Renner...

All Quiet on the Western Front: For the 'Classic Columb'...

Music/Podcasts

The LAMBcast: Listened to the whole Brian VS The World episode and it was great. I'm not a big fan of Scott Pilgrim VS The World. I get why people like it, but there is something a little smug about the whole film. I'm a little bit more convinced about how bad a film it is ... and I thank Brian for his insight to this. I also think the seven opponents he had were completely beat!

The Fugees: Listened to 'The Score' and damn, it is so good. Something so personal and yet passionate about the songs and lyrics. Brilliant music.

TV/Theatre/Art Galleries/Books/Misc

The Simpsons - As mentioned, halfway through the eighth season and I am keen to keep watching. Also began tweeting an animator on the show. What an amazing job! As mentioned on Twitter/Facebook - Space Coyote is a badass.

The Simon and Jo Film Show: 11/04/2010

This week Simon and Jo cover all three Bourne films: The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. They then discuss the new releases and Top 5 London Box-Office and then continue their quests - Simon watching anotherBest Picture Academy Award Winner and Jo watching another 'Sci-Fi' classic at The Prince Charles Cinema.

Links for things discussed in this epidsode:

Mike at  GMAM - aka: Got Me A Movie - reviews Kick-Ass
The LAMB celebrate the 500th Movie Blog ... there are so-o-o many!

Music is from The Bourne Identity - with a few tracks by Moby (Extreme Ways) and Paul Oakenfold (Ready, Steady, Go!)

The Bourne Identity (Doug Liman, 2002)

"How could I forget about you? You're the only person I know."

Introduction

I've decided that my reviews, opinions, analysis, etc of a film is only ever appropriate for people who have seen the film. Spoiler-free on the podcasts, everything else is going to be spoilt on the blog. Chances are most people have seen this, so lets get stuck straight in.

Right. Lets do this. These Bourne movies have been haunting me for a while. Seriously, I have watched this at least three times and every time it never gives me a purpose to watch the second one (alas, inevitably I did - but we'll cover that in the future...). Why? I don't know. I think all the Paris stuff bothered me and the whole deconstruction of the Bond-like character - though interesting - wasn't the most neccessary thing in the world. I feel like the whole concept of James Bond is unrealistic so why do we have to make it realistic? The shitty mini - can it really do all those stunts? No. So the films not realistic. But wait, Bourne and girl discuss how frustrated he is at not knowing who he is. Wow - deep.

I haven't read the Robert Ludlum its based upon - maybe thats a problem - and again, Ludlum openly said how it was inspired by James Bond. Again, why watch 'realistic' James Bond when you still have James Bond? Fact is, this film, in turn, inspired the incredible reboot of James Bond with Casino Royale so maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it isn't as bad as I am saying. Maybe, deep down, I am well aware of how much Graham, the Bangor Represetative, loves the film whilst I am ultimately denying it any credibility purely on that basis. Same reason Muse are rubbish.

Opinion/Analysis

So, Jason Bourne wakes up. In the sea. We know nothing and, just like him, we begin to realise what is going on. Its not long until we are clued into Chris Coopers character who believes Bourne is after him and his "Treadstone" team - when in fact Bourne is just defending himself against all the killers Cooper is sending to kill him - one of which is none other that considered-at-the-time-to-be-a-potential-007 Clive Owen. Obviously, akin to Jon Voight and the NSA in Enemy of the State, "Treadstone" is government run - and has every resource at its whim to get Bourne. And like Will Smith in Enemy of the State, again, Bourne has no idea why they are after him - but unlike Smith - he also has no memory of what happened when he woke up in the sea.

After this set-up, it changes direction as the love-interest - akin to Bourne himself - is, by chance, found on the street. Turns out, she is greedy and will take Bourne to Paris. If I was her, I would think that if I was to be offered that amount of money for a car ride ... something is up. Will he kill me upon arrival? Why not? Take the trip and then leg-it. Or, maybe the guy has already killed someone or robbed a bank or ... some illegal activity, and he is expecting me to help him? help an armed felon? Personally, I'd leg it. But turns out, straight off Run Lola Run, love-interest Marie (Potente), is greedy and takes the money and - along the journey falls for Bourne. As he does for her. But then again, in his memory, this is the first love interest he has ever had so of course he'll take it. Think of your first crush - you never forget it.

Upon this third viewing I'll admit, its got good points. The soundtrack is interesting with great music from Moby - 'Extreme Ways' becoming a staple of the franchise - whilst the Paul Oakenfold track 'Ready, Steady, Go!' simply reminds me of Collateral - a far superior film. John Powell was the man behind these choices so well done to him. This range of dance and, as itunes says, "electronica" works exceptionally well but then again, Powell is also the man behidn the music choices in Shrek and - believe me, I'm not a fan - but I can vividly recall plonkers singing to that bloody Eels track from the film. So judging songs to mix into a certain type of film is clearly a talent, and he - by choosing 'Extreme Ways' knows how to choose memorable music that is firmly attached to a film. Then again, I watched Collateral after The Bourne Identity and Paul Oakenfolds 'Ready, Steady, Go!' reminds me more of Tom Cruise, with a gun, in a club rather than a mini. In Paris.

So, to finish. The film is, pretty much, completely set in Paris, giving it a very Europeon flavour. Again, I only recently heard that the James Bond films that have often bombed were set in America. Except Live and Let Die. Then again. That film is racist so ... peak and troughs. Nevertheless, this only adds to the fact that, by being set in Paris, the exotic location reeks more of Bond again rather than a cultured-tone which I assume it was going for. The film ends as the "treadstone" project is terminated in Washington D.C. We watched a film that was ultimately pointless - 'Conklin', aka Chris Cooper, was stupid while everyone else was just following orders from him. The fact that Bourne was merely defends himelf I don't think stands - he can do loads of things, he just can't remember anything. I mean, come on! thats a specific memory. Think Memento - he had a serious problem. Bourne should count his lucky stars in terms of memory-loss.

Fact is, there are a lot of good things - and more importantly - these things set-up a great parrallel and support for Supremacy. Its not as 'incredible' as people say - but I appreciate the different angle on a genre already owned by Bond and Bauer and delivering this successfully. But as 'influential' as this is, The Bourne Identity was influenced by more films that preceded it and, if we're honest, these films were better.

And Matt Damon's "I-don't-know-who-I-am" acting grates after a while. Luckily, by The Bourne Supremacy he knows enough about himself to keep me interested.