The Bourne Legacy
(dir. Tony Gilroy)
When Tony Gilroy, the man responsible for penning the three
previous Bourne films, was faced with Matt Damon’s decision to not reprise his
role as rogue agent Jason Bourne he was left with two choices. One was to carry
on as the James Bond franchise has done so prudently, simply recast the role of
Bourne and continue the story from where Ultimatum
left off or, as Bourne Legacy is
the first of the films not finding its origins in a Robert Ludlum thriller, expand
the depth of the story to the point in which Bourne and ‘Treadstone’ are the
tip of the iceberg.
It was the latter which Gilroy, rightfully, opted for
casting Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker,
Avenger’s Assemble) as agent Aaron Cross who, as a result of Bourne’s
antics in Ultimatum which occur as this
film goes on, is forced to go rogue as his programme is closed down by an
emotionally detached Ed Norton. There are often scenes is this film which show
men in suits, in boardrooms conducting the murder of people from around the world, a scenario which serves to unsettle the audience’s trust towards any authoritative figures who are pulling on a wealth of resources to track Cross down. Cross’s only help comes in
the form of scientist Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) who is also forced to flee
for her life for her part in the ‘Outlook’ programme: creating the drugs which give
those on the programme a Nietzschean superiority.
Whilst this film certainly does lack the intellectual edge
which the three previous flourished, Gilroy has created a film which continues the
Bourne franchise in a way which works fine. For some, he may be going slightly
too far as he adds another programme which eradicates the inconsistencies of ‘Treadstone’
and the emotions of ‘Outlook’ later in the film suggesting even more possibilities
for another post-Bourne sequel.
Where the film has true strength is in the expert handling
of Renner’s action sequences and the suggestions it makes that there are people
in the real world who have to make decisions that, as Norton reassures Cross,
are ‘morally indefensible and absolutely necessary.’ It is perhaps the same
sentiment that will enter the viewer’s head as Moby’s ‘Extreme Ways’ welcomes
the closing titles of the 23rd Bourne, one shudders to think.
No comments:
Post a Comment