Review 72: The Adjustment Bureau

The Adjustment Bureau is tense, fast paced, exciting, smart and stylish (as The Washington Post put it) romantic sci fi film. One that guides on the spectacularly sizzling chemistry between Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.

Loosely based on the short story Adjustment Team by Philip K. Dick, Just as he is on the brink of winning a Senate seat, politician David Norris (Matt Damon) meets a ballerina named Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt). Though David is instantly smitten, mysterious men conspire to keep him away from the beautiful dancer. David learns that he is facing the powerful agents of the shady "Adjustment Bureau", an organisation than determines peoples paths. Glimpsing the future laid out for him and the assistance of of a compassionate member of the Bureau Harry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie).
David must either accept a predetermined path that does not include Elise or else defy Fate to be with her.

The plot is is not only a well rounded love story, it's a very though-provoking sci film film that deals with some heavy and lofty questions about free will and predestination. Writer/director George Nolfi forces us as an audience to ponder these questions regarding How much power exactly does the Bureau hold over people's lives? Can free will ever win over fate? Is it free will or fate that orchestrates action? According to the Bureau, Elise takes away from who David is and who he's supposed to be and who he's going to be in the lines of the plan.
Comparrisons have been made by 

George Nolfi makes an impressive debut effectively balancing exciting, psychological thrills with sweet romance. The cinematography is beautiful and captures the beauty and naturalism of New York, the score by Thomas Newman is beautiful, the New York setting is just as romantic as it is thrilling, the production design is splendid, the costumes are superb and the ending has a heartwarmingly strong sense of

Emma Rose Johnson of Blast Magazine has described this film as "Bourne meets Inception" and while I won't be quick to agree with those statements, comparisons between the two works are inevitable for obvious reasons. https://blastmagazine.com/2011/03/04/the-adjustment-bureau-review-bourne-meets-inception/

It's an all-round triumph for the acting, Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are fabulous in this film, their chemistry sizzles onscreen  
Damon is superb as well as determined and driven in this film playing David Norris, David is a man with a difficult past, he’s a politician who’s weathered a few scandals throughout his life and career but now he seemingly has a shot at running for senate so he’s potentially got a bright future ahead of him. 
He isn’t just being a politician just for the sake of public service, he has a deep  that’s driving him to run for Congress and his encounter with Elise cause him to feel that maybe he doesn't have to do this for the wrong reason. 
However when he, seemingly by chance, meets Elise he’s instantly taken by her and his priorities change and he wants to be with her and is willing to put his political career on the line just so he can be with her. The trouble is that doesn’t line up with the Adjustment Bureau’s plans for him.    

Emily Blunt is luminous and mesmerising playing Elise Hughs. Much like Damon's David, she too has a bright future ahead of her and the Bureau 

Anthony Mackie is also very strong playing Bureau member Harry Mitchell. He's a junior member of the Adjustment Bureau whose trying to make a name for himself. Adjusting David Norris "plan" is the first real assignment that he's recived. So he's put in a position where he has to keept him and Elise apart but they keep running into each other, they keep rehashing this relationship that isn't supposed to be.   

Starting out as following the Bureau’s instructions and doing his job that David’s path goes to according to plan. 

Michael Kelly

John Slattery

Terence Stamp, as always, is a very powerful presence playing Thompson, the Chairman of the Bureau. He's absolutely committed to the Bureau's mission of making sure everything happens according to their plan. Stamp, himself, only has three to four scenes of screentime but he brings a the right of amount of authority and gravitas required for such a role. 

Maybe you'll write the plan, 4/5.

The Anonymous Critic.