Win A Top Worn By Matt Damon In The Filming Of Jason Bourne

If you ask Vincent Cassel to sum up what is the essence of a Bourne movie – and he stars alongside Matt Damon in the latest, eagerly awaited instalment in the franchise, Jason Bourne – it is, he says, reality.

The movies – and Jason Bourne is the fifth – are all high octane, edge of your seat thrillers featuring brilliantly choreographed action sequences but they also manage to tap into issues that feel as though they have been ripped from the headlines.

In the latest, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), the former black ops agent, has re- surfaced after years of anonymity to track down CIA director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) who may have been linked to his father’s death.

It’s a cat and mouse chase – Dewey is also hunting Bourne via the ruthless assassin known as ‘The Asset’ played by Cassel – that plays out all over the world; a riot in a Greek city, a deadly confrontation on the crowded streets of London and a spectacular car chase and showdown in Las Vegas and expertly woven into action are themes very relevant in our post Snowdon, WikiLeaks world.

“There is a Jason Bourne touch,” says Cassel. “It looks real, it feels real and it’s totally engaging because it looks like the world we’ve seen through the news these last years. So I guess that’s the idea really – it looks a bit like a very expensive documentary.”

And Paul Greengrass, returning to direct his third film in the franchise with Jason Bourne, is the perfect filmmaker to capture that intoxicating blend that makes fiction that looks and feels, real.

Greengrass started his career as a journalist and filmmaker with the acclaimed British TV documentary series, World In Action. These days, he finds himself at the helm of a huge blockbuster, travelling the world to different locations, that is Bourne, but he has that ability to make it all feel chaotically gritty and in the moment.

Take, for example, a brilliant sequence where Bourne is meeting his former colleague Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) who has vital information that will draw him out of his self imposed exile. They meet under cover of a demonstration on the streets of a Greek city that quickly turns into a riot, with Cassel, as ‘The Asset on their trail, determined to track them down and kill them.

As Bourne and Parsons flee on a motorbike, with The Asset in pursuit in a car, they tear through city streets in turmoil with protestors and police violently clashing and it feels, as Cassel notes, almost like we’re watching news footage.

“Paul is a gentleman. He is very precise in what he wants and you can feel that,” says Cassel. “If he is not happy – even if everybody else is happy – if he doesn’t feel that it’s right because of a little detail he will stop, think about it and do it again.

“It has to do with reality. Coming from the documentary world, Paul needs to have that flavour of reality I would say.”

The Asset is relentless in his pursuit of Bourne, a man, he feels, who has betrayed his comrades. His desire to kill Bourne is personal but we won’t spoil the plot here and reveal exactly why.

“Each Bourne movie has an ‘asset’ and I’m the new asset. I think this time Paul (Greengrass) tried to give him a little more depth so we get to understand a bit why he is doing all of that, why he is so angry with Jason Bourne and you know it’s a little more personal than in the last movies.

“You know when you spend your life doing something and believing that it’s the right thing to do and suddenly another soldier decides that it’s not the way to do it and gets free (of it) then your whole world becomes not so real anymore.”

It was, then, a physically demanding role for Cassel who features in a series of spectacular scenes, including the finale, an incredible car chase along the famous Strip in Las Vegas. “It’s very physical of course – we drive, we run, we shoot, we hide. It’s almost like being a mime.

“Some of it was pretty challenging I guess, especially, the fight and then the car stuff, I mean, it’s so dangerous that 99 per cent has to be done by the ‘real’ guys (stunt teams).

“You do stunts that you can do. Stunts are a real art in itself and it’s really tough. So you can do fight stuff but what they do with the cars in the movie, you can’t do as an actor – you can’t. And anyways, the insurance won’t let you do it,” he laughs.

He also has a brutal fight scene with Damon as Bourne – one of the few times they share the same frame - which, he reveals, was changed at the very last minute.

“We had to rehearse the fight scene and it was changed at the last minute – but I guess all that training, all that learning (moves) for the fight and all those movements we learnt for nothing, in a way, weren’t for nothing and I guess that was the training.

“In each and every country we had a room where we could practice the fights with a bunch of stunt guys who were doing the choreography.

“It was fun and it was nice. And it’s true, we only saw each other on camera really so it was wonderful to be in the same room working together. I wish we could have done more.

“You know to do a fight together it’s like dancing when you think about it. It’s very mechanical in a way so in terms of acting it’s a lot of ‘aargh’ and ‘ohh..’” he laughs. “So it’s a certain kind of acting.”

It was, then, a hugely memorable filmmaking experience – long, at times exhausting, but enjoyable, working with a great cast and crew.

“It was long – very long,” he laughs. “And when I say that, it’s not the shooting itself because when you get on set, it’s happening and the core crew is going very fast all day long but there are so many things happening, so many people involved, it’s like you are lost in limbo – that would be Las Vegas for me – and you are there and you wait until they call you and sometimes they call you and say ‘OK, we might need you around 10 at night, maybe 12 or 2..’

“And finally they call you at 3.30am and you have been sleeping and you get back on set and you get into a car and they make it jump from a bridge or something like that.

“So the pace has nothing to do with the actors – that’s what I meant by long – and you have to accept that. But apart from that, that crew is so lovely and very relaxed and I didn’t feel any !*$% going on on set so it was easy.”

Cassel was born in Paris. He has worked extensively in both European cinema and in Hollywood. His films include La Haine, L’Appartement, Irreversible, Jefferson in Paris, Elizabeth, Birthday Girl, Ocean’s Twelve, Eastern Promises, Mesrine Part 1: Killer Instinct, Adrift, Black Swan, A Dangerous Method, My King, One Wild Moment and It’s Only The End of the World.

Q: Had you seen the previous Bourne films?
A: I’d seen most of them not all of them. I’ve seen three of them but I haven’t seen the last one, the non Matt Damon one.

Q: And what does it mean to you to be part of the franchise?
A: Well, there is a Jason Bourne touch – it looks real. It looks real, it feels real and it’s totally engaging because it looks like the world we’ve seen through the news these last years. So I guess that’s the idea really, it looks a bit like a very expensive documentary.

Q: Could you tell us about your character and how he fits into the story?
A: Well, each Bourne movie has an ‘asset’ and I’m the new asset. I think this time Paul (Greengrass) tried to give him a little more depth so we get to understand a bit why he is doing all of that, why he is so angry with Jason Bourne and you know it’s a little more personal than in the last movies.

Q: He’s like a machine – he’s relentless in his pursuit of Bourne. What do you think it is that drives him?
A: Remorse. You know when you spend your life doing something and believing that it’s the right thing to do and suddenly another soldier decides that it’s not the way to do it and gets free (of it) then your whole world becomes not so real anymore. I guess it has something to do with that.

Q: Do you have to find a way to relate to your character in order to do justice to him on the screen?
A: Well, you always do but it’s not like something really conscious. As an actor I try to understand what the guy is doing, why he is doing what he does and then you just experience the scenes and eventually that will come out as a character (laughs).

Q: You said once that you like to dive into a part and that you have to ‘experience’ it with your body. This role must have been perfect for that?
A: (laughs) Well, to a certain extent, even too much! It’s very physical of course – we drive, we run, we shoot, we hide. It’s almost like being a mime.

Q: And do you find those physical elements of the role challenging?
A: Yes, sometimes. Some of it was pretty challenging I guess, especially, the fight and then the car stuff, I mean, it’s so dangerous that 99 per cent has to be done by the ‘real’ guys (stunt teams).

Q: Matt likes to do a lot of his own stunts. What was your approach?
A: You do stunts that you can do. Stunts are a real art in itself and it’s really tough. So you can do fight stuff but what they do with the cars in the movie, you can’t do as an actor – you can’t. And anyways, the insurance won’t let you do it (laughs).

Q: How did you prepare for the physical side of the role?
A: I didn’t have time to fully prepare but I guess as an actor, doing movie after movie, you keep prepared. It’s not like I was really fat before the movie and had to get back into shape to run around. We had to rehearse the fight scene and that was changed at the last minute – but I guess all that training, all that learning (moves) for the fight and all those movements we learnt for nothing, in a way, weren’t for nothing and I guess that was the training. In each and every country we had a room where we could practice the fights with a bunch of stunt guys who were doing the choreography.

Q: It was obviously tiring so what would you do at the end of filming each day?
A: Get a massage (laughs). Honestly, when you are doing fight scenes all day, with all those shots, all those takes, it’s the only thing to do – get a massage – especially if you are not 20 years old and then you can wake up and do it again the next day otherwise you can’t. I think Matt felt the same way, from what I heard (laughs).

Q: Have you seen the finished car chase sequence yet?
A: No, I’ve seen bits and pieces but I’ll see the finished film tonight.

Q: Mostly your character is operating in isolation so what was it like to finally share a scene, albeit a very violent one, with Matt?
A: It was fun and it was nice. And it’s true, we only saw each other on camera really so it was wonderful to be in the same room working together. I wish we could have done more. You know to do a fight together it’s like dancing when you think about it. It’s very mechanical in a way so in terms of acting it’s a lot of ‘aargh’ and ‘ohh..’ so it’s a certain kind of acting.

Q: Jason Bourne is an edge of your seat thriller but it also deals with very real, very topical issues like the desire for transparency very the need for public safety. What are your views on that?
A: Honestly, I think we are going to have to go with the flow. The problem is not really technology; the problem is how we use it and as long as we have governments wanting to get money out of us they will use that information in that sense. It’s really the purpose that makes the difference but otherwise I’m a techno freak, I love it and I think it’s a wonderful thing and I think anyway we can’t escape it. Kids are growing up with this they are used to it and we are all ****** already – we all have credit cards phones, and everybody is scared about if we had a chip under the skin like a plant (to keep track of us) but when you think about it we are already traceable in every sense all day long.

Q: You’ve worked with some of the very best directors, how was it working with Paul Greengrass?
A: Easy. Paul is a gentleman. He is very precise in what he wants and you can feel that. If he is not happy – even if everybody else is happy – if he doesn’t feel that it’s right because of a little detail he will stop, think about it and do it again. It has to do with reality. Coming from the documentary world, Paul needs to have that flavour of reality I would say.

Q: There’s a core creative team that has made these films – Paul, Matt, Frank Marshall, the producer – and Paul said it was a bit like reforming a rock band. What was it like for you to join the band?
A: I felt very welcomed and it was easy. I got there and we met for the first time, physically, with Paul in Tenerife and everything was already closed and I was there to do the movie and we had a drink, it was very relaxed – we were in shorts having a glass of wine (laughs). I felt that the vibe was very laid back. I mean, people work a lot – it’s a lot of work – but in terms of human relationships it was easy, very easy.

Q: How many languages do you speak?
A: Properly I guess, three or four.

Q: And when you perform in another language, does that affect how you play the role?
A: I would love to say that it’s exactly the same and it doesn’t change anything but it’s not true (laughs). I’m much more comfortable when I act in French. I mean, to a certain extent I don’t feel like I have to learn my lines in French ever. You know, you read it, you know the idea and if something goes wrong (clicks fingers) you will definitely get back on your feet. In another language, especially if the character is not French, which makes a huge difference, it’s more work.

Q: Sum up what it was like, for you, making Jason Bourne…
A: It was long – very long (laughs). And when I say that, it’s not the shooting itself because when you get on set, it’s happening and the core crew is going very fast all day long but there are so many things happening, so many people involved, it’s like you are lost in limbo – that would be Las Vegas for me – and you are there and you wait until they call you and sometimes they call you and say ‘OK, we might need you around 10 at night, maybe 12 or 2..’ And finally they call you at 3.30am and you have been sleeping and you get back on set and you get into a car and they make it jump from a bridge or something like that (laughs). So the pace has nothing to do with the actors – that’s what I meant by long – and you have to accept that (laughs). But apart from that, that crew is so lovely and very relaxed and I going on on set so it was easy.