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July 23, 2004
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Welcome Matt
By LOUIS B. HOBSON


By all means, catch Matt Damon's spy thriller The Bourne Supremacy but be sure to bring along some Gravol.

Director Paul Greengrass is so determined to put the audience in the middle of the action, he uses hand-held cameras.

It's an effective device but it's bound to play havoc with anyone prone to motion sickness or vertigo.

Greengrass was an excellent choice to helm this sequel to 2002's The Bourne Identity.

As he did with Bloody Sunday, his powerful recreation of the tragic 1972 Irish civil rights protest, Greengrass brings a documentary feel to his material.

What could have been just another tired spy caper turns into a harrowing chase thriller.

When we meet Jason Bourne (Damon) in India, he's still suffering from amnesia and confusion about his identity and his past.

He's having unsettling flashbacks and he's convinced people are still trying to find and kill him.

His German girlfriend Marie (Franka Potente) tries to convince him it's just paranoia, but of course it's not.

There are people who want to see Bourne dead before he remembers too much, and soon they arrive at the doorstep of his idyllic retreat.

Once again, Bourne must take control of the cat-and-mouse game that is his life without memory of his past.

Tony Gilroy's ingenious screenplay keeps Bourne in constant danger, at the same time allowing him to manipulate those who think they are tracking him.

His prime adversaries this time are a pair of top-level American CIA operatives and two of their Russian counterparts.

Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) believes Bourne is responsible for the deaths of two of her agents and that he knows something about an infamous murder that occurred in Berlin years earlier.

She wants him alive so she can find out what he knows and why he targeted her agents.

The audience knows the two latest murders were set up by the Russians to cover up the motive for the earlier murders.

Landy is Bourne's intellectual nemesis and she's a master at mind games.

The rogue Russian secret service agent Kirill (Karl Urban) is Bourne's physical nemesis as he has the contract to kill Bourne before he can remember or talk.

Damon is wearing his age well.

He's entirely believable as the young assassin aging under the strain of keeping alive and battling his dreams.

He's also completely credible in the combat scenes, seeming both agile and strong enough to survive.

There is a problem with two of the fight sequences in that the cameras move so fast and erratically you're not certain who's throwing or receiving the punches.

The car chase in Moscow is almost as exhausting and relentless for the audience as it is for Bourne, Kirill and the dozens of other drivers in hot pursuit.

Damon has three scenes that show he's as emotionally capable to play Bourne as he is physically.

His confused but tender moment with Potente, his terrorizing of Julia Stiles and his painful confession to a Russian girl are powerful because Damon infuses them with such passion and conviction.

The Bourne Supremacy is a dynamite sequel that begs for at least one more outing with this spy who refuses to come in from the cold.

(This film is rated PG)

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