Damon began 2002 with writing and starring in "Gerry", a drama about two friends who forget to bring water and food when they go hiking in a desert. The reviews for the film were generally positive, but it was a box-office failure. He then played amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne in Doug Liman's action thriller "The Bourne Identity" (2002). Liman considered several actors for the role, before he cast Damon. Damon insisted on performing many of the stunts himself, undergoing three months of extensive training in stunt work, the use of weapons, boxing, and eskrima. Damon said that before "The Bourne Identity" he was jobless for six months, and many of his films during that period under-performed at the box-office. He doubted on the film's financial prospects, but it proved a commercial success. Reviews for the film were also positive; Roger Ebert praised it for its ability to absorb the viewer in its "spycraft" and "Damon's ability to be focused and sincere". For his role, "Entertainment Weekly" named Damon among "the decade's best mixer of brawn and brains."