Vincent Cassel talks 'Jason Bourne', being in 'classy' blockbuster

The French A-lister is relishing the novelty of being in the Bourne action movie franchise.

"It's Only The End Of The World (Juste La Fin Du Monde)" Photocall - The 69th Annual Cannes Film Festival

Vincent Cassel at the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival. Source: Getty Images

Vincent Cassel says he’s never been looking for Hollywood to break down his door, but he considers himself “lucky” to be in Paul Greengrass’ upcoming Jason Bourne movie, which he calls “one of the classiest film franchises on the planet”.

Cassel plays another assassin in the fifth film of the Bourne franchise, which marks the return of Matt Damon. It also stars Alicia Vikander, Julia Stiles and Tommy Lee Jones. 

“[Greengrass] kept on saying, ‘It’s a popcorn movie, it’s a popcorn movie’ but the way he talks about it, it is a real directing process,” Cassel said. “He comes from documentary, you know, so he’s looking for that flavour, looking for those non-realistic things, to make them look real. It is not an easy task but he does it the best.”

Cassel spoke about the upcoming film in an interview at the Cannes Film Festival (where he is promoting Xavier Dolan’s Palme d'Or contender It’s Only the End of the World).   

“It was a long process [to make Jason Bourne]. I just finished the movie a month and a half ago we shot for seven months. That’s seven months of being alone with gun, fighting. You know? But it’s gonna look good. Paul Greengrass invented that style and it’s his take on the genre movie.” 

Cassel said his role in Jason Bourne wasn’t the typical blockbuster villain.

“These people are working for the government and the real villain is the government. We just work for it. That’s the case with these Bourne movies – they work for big, bad, dark systems, and they have to cope with it. 

“Is Bourne a good guy? I don’t know.“

Jason Bourne opens in Australian cinemas in July.

 


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By Fiona Williams

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