Doug Liman

A 1988 graduate of Brown University, director Doug Liman found almost overnight success with his 1996 film Swingers. Only Liman's second film to date, it was written by his buddy Jon Favreau, who also acted as one of the film's stars alongside Vince Vaughn. The story of a group of Rat Pack-worshipping friends looking for a little love, the film hit an immediate chord among audiences who were intrigued -- and perhaps even a little repulsed -- by what one critic called "a worm's-eye-view" of male dating rituals. Its critical and commercial success enabled Liman (who had previously directed the 1994 black comedy Getting In) to have his choice of subsequent projects. He opted for Go, a 1999 ensemble piece featuring a virtual who's who of the Young and Hot (including Sarah Polley, Katie Holmes, and Scott Wolf). The film met with mixed reviews that tended toward the positive, ensuring that, whatever the future held for Liman, employment was most likely a given. Following a three-year period in which little was heard from the hot-property director, Liman returned with another attempt at capturing his unique brand of infectious energy, The Bourne Identity. Based on Robert Ludlum's novel concerning a hunted amnesiac attempting to unravel his mysterious past and inspired by the fever-pitch energy of Tom Tykwer's Run Lola Run (1998), The Bourne Identity featured Matt Damon as the titular hero and Lola herself (Franka Potente) as the woman who aids him in his quest. Additionally, the film also served as a potential franchise springboard for a series of Universal films documenting the further adventures of Jason Bourne. - Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide