… the highly successful series sees its fourth installment [again] written by (and this time directed by
Michael Clayton’s “The Truth Can Be Adjusted”) Tony Gilroy. But this ain’t Michael Clayton, so why does it feel that way? This is Jason Bourne, except when it isn’t.
Hell, in this, Matt Damon’s not even there! Instead, Jeremy Renner, steps into the role of Aaron Cross, whoever he is. We’re not sure since the film opens by balancing lengthy backstory with some very talky scientific/police jargon between Ed Norton, Albert Finney and Stacey Keach. Then we flash to man-on-the-mountain scenes of Renner rock climbing. There’s a line where somebody says “We should spread” and we think “Aren’t they ‘spread’ enough…” the storyline jumping from New York to Asia to D.C. and finally to mountain-in-the-middle-of-nowhere.
But that’s the least of our problems as it’s a long time before any action – a “Bourne” staple, kicks in, and when it does, it’s because our boy Renner has forced a wolf to swallow a pill. Suddenly the film become “Grey Legacy” and it’s about that time the audience wishes that the
studio had hired Liam Neeson to project movie star on the big screen, something Renner just doesn’t do. He projects soullessness, uninspiring, but he also evokes fear and confusion, and a lot of it, because it’s apparent he has no idea what’s going on in this plot either…a plot a little too smart for its own theatre-going-popcorn-chomping-good.
Though Rachel Weisz is gorgeous and earnest in her near-miss murder-in-a-lab where she invents some illicit drug, delivering a monologue about how germs and pathogens can be made into viruses [babble.] She’s a scientist – we get that – though we’re never sure what she’s saying, all the while thinking “Renner kind of resembles her real life husband Daniel Craig so if only these two would kiss, it might save this mess of a film!”
Renner is chatty in a cabin, then insane in D.C., then mountain man etc, before moving into good doctor, savior. He’ so all over the map (literally) we’re never certain who he is. Is he a good guy or bad guy? Are we rooting for him and Weisz or not? Though one thing is for certain….as we watch Ed Norton commanding the screen with his big acting presence, we can’t help but think maybe he should have been
the lead role. And we’re also sure of another thing, Tony Gilroy is a talented screenwriter. Was this just a bad part of his own, um, living legacy? Two tiaras