The Damon Ascendancy

Matt Damon as Jason Bourne

Matt Damon has finally come into his own. After 18 years of movie roles, Damon finally has a film role in which he is the only star. The Bourne Supremacy puts him in a class of his own.

Damon has long been a movie star. He has often been tabloid fodder. He won an Oscar. However, until recently he has done everything of note with someone else. He won the Oscar with long time pal Ben Affleck. If he makes the papers, it is because of who he is or at least speculated to be dating.

His movies have always seemed liked ensembles or he at least was just a costar. He made his big screen debut in 1988's Mystic Pizza. It was a small role. It was also one of Julia Roberts’s first films. In School Ties, 1992, he worked with Affleck, but both were tiny roles compared to lead actor Brendan Fraser.

In 1996, he caught the attention of Steven Spielberg with his supporting role in Courage Under Fire. It starred Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan. He got the role of Private Ryan in Saving Private Ryan. Damon is not on screen until more than half way through the movie. The film truly belongs to Tom Hanks.

Damon is the star of Good Will Hunting. That is to say, he has the most screen time. However, Robin Williams got all of the good reviews. Whenever Damon did get talked about, it was because he was dating costar Minnie Driver at the time or it was that he and Affleck together, deserved credit for the film.

For The Talented Mr. Ripley, Damon starred with one of the most talented casts ever assembled; Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The following year he again found himself surrounded by famous faces. In The Legend of Bagger Vance Damon starred with Will Smith and Charlize Theron with direction by Robert Redford.

With 2001's Ocean's Eleven and it's up coming sequel Ocean's Twelve, Damon appears quite comfortable in a large cast. In Stuck on You, Damon shared, quite literally, every scene with Greg Kinnear playing conjoined twins.

Why Damon enjoys large casts or sharing screen credit with other actors is beyond me. With The Bourne Identity, Damon proved to the world that he, by no means, needs a large cast or a big name costar to make a great movie. It is with this movie and it awesome sequel, The Bourne Supremacy, that Damon finally has a movie where he is the one and only star carrying a film.

The role of Jason Bourne should have probably gone to someone a bit older. It is the role of an experienced spy with some history. It probably should have been played with someone who actually looks tough. Even Damon told radio talk show host Jim Rome, on his July 23rd show, that he didn't think he would originally get the role because; "I look like Opie."

Damon does a great job as Jason Bourne. He plays him straight and deadly serious. Damon's Bourne is a man of action but through his acting he makes Bourne a thinker as well. Many scenes in The Bourne Supremacy simply have Damon look somewhere and react. There is usually little to no dialogue. Through Damon's acting alone, we feel and accept the mood of the scene.

Damon may prefer the ensemble casts, but his best work is in playing the lonesome Jason Bourne. I personally hope he plays him many more times!