Badly wounded and suffering from amnesia, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is pulled out of the Mediterranean by fishermen, and is able to recall neither who he is nor what happened to him. His only clue to his identity is the number of a Swiss bank account which has been etched into a device implanted in his body. Following the lead to Zurich, he discovers money, passports and a gun waiting for him, but also earns the attention of the security services and has to leave in a hurry. He then persuades a young woman named Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente) to drive him to Paris, where he hopes to find out his true identity and discover the reason why the CIA are taking such an interest in him. Directed by Doug Liman ('Swingers', 'Go').  Freely adapted from Robert Ludlum's 1980 bestseller, The Bourne Identity starts fast and never slows down. The twisting plot revs up in Zurich, where amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne (), with no memory of his name, profession, or recent activities, recruits a penniless German traveler ( Run Lola Run's ) to assist in solving the puzzle of his missing identity. While his CIA superior () dispatches assassins to kill Bourne and thus cover up his failed mission, Bourne exercises his lethal training to leave a trail of bodies from Switzerland to Paris. Director Doug Liman ( Go) infuses Ludlum's intricate plotting with a maverick's eye for character detail, matching breathtaking action with the humourous, thrill-seeking chemistry of Damon and Potente. Previously made as a 1988 TV movie starring Richard Chamberlain, The Bourne Identity benefits from the sharp talent of rising stars, offering intelligent, crowd-pleasing excitement from start to finish. -- Jeff Shannon Synopsis As The Bourne Identity begins, a man who may or may not be Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is found floating in the Mediterranean Sea and is hauled onto a fishing boat. When the ship's doctor examines the unconscious castaway, he discovers two bullet wounds and an implanted device that displays a Swiss bank account number. With nothing but this code, the amnesiac Bourne travels to Zurich and gains access to a safe-deposit box containing a gun, thousands of dollars in various currencies, and valid passports from numerous countries--each listing a different identity. Within minutes, Bourne is on the run from a seemingly ever-present agency, relying on language and fighting skills he didn't even know he possessed. Offering $20,000 for a ride to Paris, Bourne gains the reluctant help of the nomadic Marie (Franka Potente). Meanwhile, the shadowy organisation, headed by a tough-talking bureaucrat (Chris Cooper), sends numerous assassins (including the Professor, played by Clive Owen) after Bourne and Marie. As their situation grows more perilous, the two strangers struggle to find out who Bourne really is and why they are being hunted. Doug Liman's adaptation of Robert Ludlum's best-selling novel is a remarkable exercise in straightforward storytelling, with the director wisely choosing to focus on Bourne and his quest for identity. The fight sequences are thrilling, but never overly glamorised, and the film's pacing is engaging and deliberate. Damon, who displays genuine bewilderment as his character discovers his almost-superhuman abilities, anchors the proceedings with the subtle charm of an unlikely action hero. Potente also shines as Bourne's road companion, a savvy woman who slowly builds an utterly believable relationship with the confused man. Bearing distinct affinity for its European setting and classic Hollywood suspense films, The Bourne Identity succeeds as an unusually smart character-driven thriller.