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Souvenir
The Moment: When Bourne arrives at Marie's moped-rental business at the end of the first film, his red backpack can be seen serving as a modified flower-pot in the background. A nice touch.
Bourne Cool: Bourne's relationship with Marie is both plausible and genuinely affecting. It makes perfect sense that she would have hung on to his backpack as a memento of their time together.
Turning The Tables
The Moment: Bourne contacts Landy to establish his terms, explaining that he wants Nicky Parsons to be the one who meets him. When Landy tries to stall by saying she'll have to locate her, Bourne points out that "she's standing right next to you". He's watching you, Pam!
Bourne Cool: It's at this point that you start to feel the control tipping into Bourne's hands, as he places himself one step ahead of his pursuers.
Embassy Escape
The Moment: Having taken refuge in the US Embassy, Bourne realises he must make his escape through a less conventional route than the back door. Taking something of a leap of faith, he exits through a window, before flattening himself against the outside wall, using only a tiny ledge to maintain his balance. Heart in mouth time…
Bourne Cool: This is the first time we've seen Bourne use his newfound agility to its full extent, and its a truly dizzying moment. Don't look down…
Intimidation
The Moment: Having expertly lost the CIA agents charged with tailing him, Bourne shepherds Nicky into a subway station utility room for a full and thorough interrogation. Ignoring her terrified whimpers, Bourne gives her both barrels in order to find out what he needs to know.
Bourne Cool: Julia Stiles plays this scene to perfection, seeming genuinely terrified of a man whose capabilities she's well aware of.
Familiar Face
The Moment: The mood changes rather abruptly in Byer's operations centre as Aaron Cross's face appears on the flight manifest to Manila. "Everybody out," barks Byer, the colour rapidly draining from his face…
Bourne Cool: Ed Norton really sells Byer's reaction here, ramming home just how big a threat Cross is perceived to be. Goosebumps!
Don't Ask Don't Get
The Moment: Having been briefed by Bourne to perform a complicated surveillance routine on a hotel lobby from which they need to retrieve a receipt, Marie waltzes up to the phone box where her anxious companion is waiting for her call. No dramatics turn out to be required… she simply walked up to the receptionist and asked for the receipt! Job done.
Bourne Cool: The Bourne series isn't renowned for its sense of humour, but this little scene contains a genuinely funny payoff. "You just asked for it?" says Bourne, flabbergasted!
Taking The Plunge
The Moment: Bourne goes full-on action hero, launching himself down a stairwell, shooting a thug on his way down, before using another portly henchman's body to break his fall. That's just how he rolls.
Bourne Cool: It's probably Bourne's most badass moment of the entire first film. No wonder Conklin looks shaken by the fallout!
Alerting The Assassins
The Moment: "I want Bourne in a bodybag at sundown," barks Conklin, as Treadstone's finest killing machines are alerted to their latest mission.
Bourne Cool: Conklin's death sentence is followed by a wonderful little montage in which three fearsome-looking assassins receive word of their latest target…
Police Pile-Up
The Moment: Bourne chases Paz in a police car, a police car that gets thoroughly totalled in one of the most crash-happy chase scenes in the entire series. Somehow JB walks away from this one, but we're not quite sure how.
Bourne Cool: For all his Superman-esque qualities, you really get the impression that Bourne's been through the wringer here. Those are some serious collisions!
Head To Head
The Moment: Abbott and Landy butt heads over how best to deal with the Bourne situation in one of the series' better exchanges of dialogue. "You're in a big puddle of shit, Pamela," begins Abbott, "and you don't have the shoes for it."
Bourne Cool: In among all the crash bang wallop action, its nice to hear a few zingers here and there. This is one of the best.
