Finally. Something interesting and genuinely good hits the box office. I really enjoyed The Adjustment Bureau and if you can spell Adjustment Bureau, so will you. It’s a classic love story based on devotion mixed with some really cool sci-fi notions, religious undertones, and that stuff that makes you go hmmmmm. It is somewhat of a thinker and poses a bunch of questions but doesn’t leave you hanging and yearning for that little bit of information to help you solve what’s going on. It’s the perfect balance of entertainment and thought-provoking philosophy. The Adjustment Bureau isn’t exceptional but just good enough…like baby bear’s porridge.
“We’re the guys that make sure things go according to plan.” Ever wonder how things just work out? Do you believe in fate, destiny, or the guy upstairs? The Adjustment Bureau juggles all of these ideas with intrigue and fantasy. Matt Damon is David Norris, a young political star on the rise. He seems to be given great opportunities that would lead to greatness but he sabotages himself with blemishes of emotional impulses. He meets Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt), the girl he was always meant to meet and she fills every lonely void he’s ever had. She’s not a hopeless romantic, but if you are, you are going to fall in love with this movie and wonder if your planned soul mate is somewhere out there.
Matt Damon and Emily Blunt in The Adjustment Bureau
One problem though, the master plan doesn’t have them ending up together. Matt Damon ain’t having that! If you’ve seen his other films, you know that Matt Damon gets what he wants! Don’t worry, this doesn’t turn into Bourne Identity or any other of its clones, The Adjustment Bureau keeps a somber tone of intellect and somewhat realism. As real as a movie with guys in the background with special powers to just make things happen and travelling through Matrix-style doors can be. These guys have a ridiculously cool aura and don’t show emotion kind of like in Equilibrium. Terence Stamp is bad-ass while Anthony Mackie is dope boy fresh playing a more compassionate variation of the Men in Hats. “He has no idea who he’s up against.” No sir, you have no idea who YOU’RE up against. Maaaaattttt Daaaaammooooooon.
It's great to see how Damon's character learns and adapts through the movie
I think you get the gist…moral of the story: Love Conquers All. Clever of them to hide a romance in a sci-fi flick, win win! The Adjustment Bureau is based on a short story by Philip K. Dick called “Adjustment Team” and I’m a huge fan of his. His stories have inspired such movies as Minority Report, Total Recall, Blade Runner, A Scanner Darkly, etc. Since the story was published in the United States in the 50s, it’s in the public domain and you can actually read the full text here: https://docs.google.com/View?id=dd7gqs2f_1v3g9vqgk&pli=1. This adaptation is wildly different from the original work but it’s smart and fun. The movie is obviously character-driven so the dialogue is key and the movie kept it light, free flowing, and relatable. You can see the empathy between Elise and David and understand how they fall in love so easily. Emily Blunt’s character is so likeable with her quick snark comebacks and I instantly had a crush.
How cool are they?
This is screenwriter turned director George Nolfi’s directorial debut and you can tell the emphasis on plot. The movie’s tempo does drop in the middle while the story develops from a mystery to a mission. I wouldn’t quite say this is a slow paced film, but if you easily get distracted or bored, you might have a problem following it. This isn’t an in your face action film or a goosebump-inducing thriller, it’s a well delivered story that while leave you smiling. In this case, simplicity works. You know when you can’t quite put a finger on it but just know you’re happy with it? Well this is that. Or maybe I’m just being adjusted…
Tags: Anthony Mackie, Emily Blunt, George Nolfi, Matt Damon, Philip K. Dick, Terence Stamp, The Adjustment Bureau
Matthew Fong created advancescreenings.com and is the lead contributor. He watches every type of movie and will try almost anything twice. You can follow him on twitter here: @matthewfong
