Bourne Ultimatum - Movie Review

In the midst of what was a armrest gripping, teeth clenching, extreme excitement finale to the Bourne trilogy, I had a headache.

It was that darn handheld camera technique, which is what Director Paul Greengrass was selected for anyway. It broke every rule that film students were taught never to break - change in direction in the midst of continuity, extreme close up followed by extreme closeup, short edits, over-the-shoulder shots that were tight to the point of you wanting to physically move the person away so you can see Jason Bourne's tormented face.

And he looked like he had a headache too. All the amnesia, loss of love, injuries and paranoia really got to the man and he didn't crack a smile once in this movie, his forehead permanently crinkled.

And it was brillant, that juxtaposition of character and camera action. It really helped me relate to the character and all his confusion. So maybe all the problems that the movie had with continuity and jump shots were deliberate as well. (I won't get into them, but you can read them here.)

But what a ride, eh? All the globe trotting, car chasing, rooftop chase moments were in true represetation of Ludlum's genius of tension in the midst of action. And I love the fact that the women in this movie, Nikke Parson and Pamela Landy were portrayed as honest,loyal and righteous women who were neither femme fatale nor the weaker sex stereotype that generally women in this genre tend to carry, like so much baggage.

Worth every cent and definitely an apt ending to a wonderful story. I couldn't have cared more about what happens to Jason Bourne if I tried. And when your audience cares of the characters, that, my friends, is good cinematic story telling.