Lush silver locks, with dainty Windsor glasses at the end of the nose, is a classic look. It radiates this real sense of assured experience, wisdom, knowledge and this air of genuine trustworthiness. This is exactly the man you imagine when the phrase “a wise man once told me” is uttered, with his staff and a glowing, divine light forming a halo around his figure. Images of Dumbledore, Gandalf and Billy Connolly flood our brains…the professor, the wizard and the soft-spoken Scottish comedian…sounds like an updated take on CS Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Another man that fits the bill, albeit if you replaced the staff with a camera and the heavenly soft tones of Connolly’s Glasgow accent with that of a suburban South Londoner is director Paul Greengrass. The man behind it all Bourne franchise, and has also developed a formidable reputation for recreating films about certain historical events such as Bloody Sunday, United 93, Captain Phillips, July 22and News from the worldGreengrass matches the image of the wise man with silver clasp and round glasses, but his skill in thrilling, action-packed movies hints at something far more populist in his wisdom.
After it was recently announced that Greengrass would return with a new movie, an adaptation based on yet another Stephen King novel, Fairy talelet’s take a look at some of the English director’s huge collection of top films…
5 July 22
July 22 is a dramatization of the 2011 terrorist attacks that were carried out in a youth camp in Norway. The 2018 film shows the horrific massacre of 77 teenagers on the island of Utoya off the coast of Norway. Committed by a neo-Nazi, the film explores the terror that followed and the event that devastated a nation and shook the world. Greengrass brings its signature flair for suspense and knowledge of the historical context to fuse yet another exciting, great take on real-life violence.
4 Bloody Sunday
For many, U2’s enduring reputation is “the band that gave everyone that free album on Apple Music that no one seemed to want”. However, at one time their credibility as one of the biggest bands in the world with the unmistakable presence of vocalist Bono was undeniable. At the height of their fame, U2 released the song Sunday Bloody Sundayan ode to the troubles in Northern Ireland and to the Bogside massacre that became infamously known as Bloody Sunday.
Greenaway’s version of Bloody Sunday James Nesbitt plays Ivan Cooper, who leads a peaceful protest against preventive detention in Derry, Northern Ireland. The imposing British army presence quickly descends into utter barbarity when they shoot 13 unarmed civilians and injure several more. The film reproduces the complete, bloody frenzy and totally unprovoked reaction of the British armed forces.
3 Captain Phillips
Based on the ill-fated voyage of the Maersk Alabama, which sailed a little too close to the shores of Somalia’s pirate-infested waters, Captain Phillips is Paul Greengrass’ take on the very real story of Captain Richard Phillips and his crew falling victim to a Somali pirate siege. It is a truly fascinating illustration of the dangers of being at sea and is a real lesson in human resilience, honor and selflessness.
Tom Hanks plays Phillips, while the glowing Barkhad Abdi as Abduwali Muse irrefutably steals the show as the man with a wicked smile and just as bad temper, who captures Phillips’ ship and takes it hostage. The incredible ending sequence is solidified in history as one of the most realistic depictions of stress and survival ever filmed.
2 United 93
9/11 is a day that will be remembered forever. To this day, its impact still reverberates around the world, changing the lives of thousands of American families and, as a result, we are seeing a drastic reform of air travel protocol and American interference in the Middle East. United 93 emphatically tells the story of those aboard United Airlines Flight 93, on September 11, 2001, who took us on the devastating pre-departure journey into the terrifying ordeal the passengers endured during the terrorist hijacking of their plane.
Ultimately, it’s a story that we all know the tragic ending of; Greengrass’s portrayal of the day’s events, however, brings to life the trials and tribulations the victims endure in a terrifyingly natural way in the first studio film that directly addresses the real-life tragedy.
1 Jason Bourne Franchise (Supremacy, Ultimatum and Jason Bourne)
James Bond’s rougher and more realistic American cousin, Jason Bourne even shares the same initials with 007, so it was perhaps relatively predictable that the producers of Greengrass and Bourne would be accused of defrauding the long-standing British spy. However, it couldn’t be further from the truth; ever since Bourne’s Identity aired in 2002, the film has gained a huge following. When Greengrass took over directing for the sequel, The Bourne Supremacyits popularity continued to grow.
There has been an unglamorous edge to the Bourne have had movies about their transatlantic cousin, who traded the Aston Martin for a worn-out old mini, the suits and tuxedos for a low-profile but practical pair of jeans and denim jacket, and the range of high-tech gadgets for just a simple pistol. Bourne (Matt Damon), who suffers from amnesia, is constantly at odds with his former employers, the CIA, and constantly evades CIA agents sent out to kill him. Greengrass’s tenure overseeing three of the five Bourne films, two of which are arguably the best films of the Bourne franchise (The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum) has been highly influential for the action and thriller genres.