Off the coast of Marseille, at midnight, an Italian trawler catches a man fishing. He is fully clothed and has two bullets in his back. When he wakes up, although he is out of the forest and completely rational, he has no memory of the past, does not know why he is here, where he comes from, or even what his name is. The only clue is under the skin, on the thigh, where a laser pointer was hidden, indicating the coordinates of the Zurich safe.
While he goes there to investigate, the mysterious hitchhiker stops to sleep on a public bench. Awakened by two policemen who asked him for his papers, he was astonished to find that his body had reacted without warning and that in a matter of seconds he had managed to disarm and subdue the two men.
- Tonight on Amazon: The best adventure movie of all time
The first action scene in Skin of Memory, this scene in a public garden immediately sets the tone and tells the audience that they are not watching an action movie like any other. Accompanied by a haunting soundtrack and excellent direction from its creator, Doug Liman’s film combines anthological moments.
In the American embassy in Zurich, in a Parisian apartment, in a luxury hotel or even on a yacht, Jason Bourne (that’s what we call him) simply revolutionizes the fight on the big screen. Less spectacular and less grandiose than the movies have accustomed us to, Matt Damon’s moves (directly inspired by close combat and the martial arts of the Philippines) are fast, clean, precise and devastating. In a word, much more real.
The result on screen, visceral and impressive, has an immediate effect on the audience, but also on future action film directors. So much so that since Doug Liman’s feature film (which was also followed by 4 more films), no one has fought like this on the big screen. Hot on the trail of Agent Treadstone, Christian Bale’s Batman and Daniel Craig’s James Bond neutralize their enemies at Jason Bourne’s school.
Not to mention all the successors to the character that have emerged in the years that followed, from Brian Mills (Liam Neeson in Taken ) to Largo Winch through John Wick and none other.
An absolute must for all fans of action cinema, Memory in the Skin has been urgently (re)discovered on Amazon Prime Video, as has its sequel.
(Re)discover all the hidden details of the movie…
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
