Matt Damon is considered to be one of the most successful actors in Hollywood, and he is heavily demanded by filmmakers because of his versatility and acting range. Rose to critical acclaim with his outstanding performance in the 1997 drama, Good Will Hunting, he became an Academy Award winner at the young age of 27. In his career, Damon has given numerous memorable and jaw-dropping box-office hits.
The Martian actor’s acting chops are not limited to genres as he has worked in various projects playing complex and challenging roles. Matt Damon has always remained a fan-favorite actor and stayed relevant since the late 1990s, and he has worked in some of the most iconic films in his career. One such project was the Bourne franchise which was popular and featured a unique technique that ruined action films forever.
Matt Damon’s Action Franchise’s Unique Innovation Ruins Action Genre
Matt Damon‘s Jason Bourne film series is one of the most popular action series, that played a massive role in the actor’s career, as the film majorly relied on realism, it was heavily praised by the critics and the viewers alike. The film series showcased themes such as the threat of surveillance and the CIA’s controversies that made the film extremely relevant to its viewers.
The movies created a gripping hook and Damon’s character, Jason Bourne was exceptionally written, adding some mystery to him. But what made the action film stand out from the other action films of its time was introducing a new technique to shoot the action scenes. Paul Greengrass came up with a shaky cam effect, that adds another layer of realism to the film. Moreover, this innovative style of filmmaking was loved by the audience and critics as it was never seen before and it gelled very well with the story of the Bourne series.
However, the shaky cam effect ruined the action genre because other action films tend to use this effect which unnecessarily leads to hyperactive sequences. Renowned action films such as Taken 2 and Quantum of Solace added nothing to the story except a hyperactive scene that the audience would enjoy.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Were In Tears With Robin Williams’ Performance
Matt Damon’s Good Will Hunting underwent numerous changes when Castle Rock Entertainment bought the script. After eons of negotiations, Damn and Affleck approached the notorious Harvey Weinstein, who bought the script from Castle Rock Entertainment and decided to bring the project to life.
The two actors took on the lead roles in the film, and Gus Van Sant agreed to direct the film. But the young actors were jumping with joy when Robin Williams decided to be a part of their film. The Jumanji actor even took a massive pay cut for the film, where he received $5 million from his usual pay range of $20 million. Hence, Williams saw potential in the two young talents.
While talking to Boston Magazine, Damon recalled that both he and Affleck were in tears when they saw Robin Williams act in their film.
“…I remember we started crying, because it was a scene between Robin and Stellan [Skarsgård.] And when Gus called action and we watched these guys — I mean accomplished actors — do our scene verbatim, we had waited so long for this to happen. I remember just sitting next to Ben and I had tears rolling down my cheeks because I was just so happy and relieved that it was really happening.”
Good Will Hunting remains one of the most popular films of all time, the film had earned $225.9 million at the worldwide box office. But that’s not all as it won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck it was a fitting reward for the efforts they put into the film.
The Bourne Identity can be streamed on Peacock.
Source: ScreenRant
