Bovie Movie

Based on Don Mullan’s acclaimed book, Eyewitness Bloody Sunday, this is an unblinking account of the events of 30 January 1972 that resulted in 13 civilians being killed by members of the Parachute Regiment while on a protest march through the city of Londonderry. Employing a gritty, verité filming style that is complemented by superb editing, writer/director Paul Greengrass not only captures the tension between the sectarian communities and the British forces, but also conveys the shattered hopes of the civil rights movement and the march organisers, including MP Ivan Cooper (played with solemn dignity by James Nesbitt). It’s a powerful and provocative testament to the urgent need for justice and peace. 

The first major film to be released about the events of 9/11 is no hackneyed disaster movie, as some may have feared, but a fittingly sober and dignified affair. For this re-telling of the events aboard the only hijacked plane that didn’t reach its intended target that day, writer/director Paul Greengrass adopts a dialogue-light, almost documentary approach. The sense of reality is heightened by the casting of relative unknowns and the use of varying perspectives from air-traffic control, the military, the plane’s passengers and the terrorist hijackers themselves. Blending known facts with educated guesswork — and with no bias or axe to grind — Greengrass crafts a credible and moving film about ordinary folk forced into one extraordinary act of courage. It’s a matter of recorded history that the passengers’ attempt to overwhelm the hijackers ended with the plane crashing into a field in Pennsylvania. But it’s a tribute to the film that, despite that foreknowledge, you’re still gripped and moved by the experience. 

British film-maker Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday, United 93) took over the directing duties from Doug Liman for this sequel to The Bourne Identity and manages the rare feat of improving (if only slightly) on the original. Two years after ex-CIA operative Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) apparently escaped the attentions of his spymasters, a corrupt Russian businessman frames him for a double assassination, which drags Bourne back into the murky world of international espionage. Greengrass uses his drama-documentary background to good effect, delivering consistently exciting action without ever pushing the bounds of credibility. As Bourne, Damon continues to impress in a role that goes against his wholesome, all-American image — moving slickly and almost silently through the film like a small, angry black hole. 

In the third film based on author Robert Ludlum’s bestsellers, former CIA agent Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) hits the ground running — and from then on the pace never slackens. The subtle and simple script is dazzling, as Bourne zips through stunning global locations to discover the truth about his past and take revenge on those responsible for his brainwashed plight. Damon has really made the role of the troubled assassin his own, and returning director Paul Greengrass employs the same hand-held camera technique he used in The Bourne Supremacy to add immediacy and up-close-and-personal thrills to the terrific stunts. With flashbacks to both previous episodes, and stars Joan Allen and Julia Stiles returning to marvellous effect, this final instalment is essentially one long chase that never loses its grip or credibility. Nothing is overplayed, from the scary surveillance tracking methods to the high-level corruption, making this a superbly crafted masterclass in intelligent action film-making.