The Adjustment Bureau
PG-13
Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, Gregory Lay, John Slatterly, Terence Stamp
105 Minutes
Directed by George Nolfi
Screenplay written by George Nolfi
Based on a short story by Philip K. Dick
(I talk about the movie called, The Adjustment Bureau, and an organization called The Adjustment Bureau. This is probably confusing. When I refer to the movie itself, it will be in italics.)
“Most people are like a falling leaf that drifts and turns in the air, flutters, and falls to the ground. But a few others are like stars which travel one defined path: no wind reaches them, they have within themselves their guide and path.”
-Herman Hesse, Siddhartha
I didn’t think it was possible: Matt Damon is in a movie that does not take place in Boston. There is a scene, where you can actually see him running in Yankee Stadium. I have been looking forward to watching this movie for quite some time. The previews made this look super awesome. I really wanted to like this movie. I also want to give you an objective review. Over the past decade, the Science-Fiction movie genre has found its soul. These films now actually have a point to them.
You don’t have to be an overgrown man-child to enjoy them. David Norris (Damon) is young congressman from New York. He is the clear front runner for a seat in the senate. That is, until an em-bare-ass-ing college reunion stunt, was caught on video. This leads to his constituents having serious doubts about his maturity. Norris loses the election by a wide margin. Later on, we see the congressman practicing his concession speech in a hotel bathroom. He discovers a woman named Elise (Blunt), hiding out in a stall. (Elise acts like a young Kate Winslett.) Security officers were after her, after she crashed a wedding. They really hit it off immediately, 60 seconds later, they're making out in the bathroom. One of his campaign aids caught the two of them. Elise ran off quickly when a security guard caught up with her.
After a long campaign run, David had to work at a real job. He has a morning routine of getting a cup of coffee, and riding the bus to work. David was supposed to spill his coffee on his shirt. In doing so, he interfered with plan the Adjustment Bureau set out for him. Instead, he runs into Elise, which was followed by a very lovely conversation. She gave David her phone number on a business card.
David shows up for work in the morning. Walking quickly, he greets coworkers. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Those weren't his coworkers. They were just realistic looking manikins. He notices something is amiss. This is where Roger Sterling Richardson (Slatterly) and his team of goons show up and chase after him. They suffocate him with a chloroformed rag . Moments later, Norris is in a chair, in an empty room, surrounded by members of the Adjustment Bureau. The business card with Elise's phone number is ripped up. They tell him to keep his mouth shut and to forget about this girl he met. Matt Damon’s character is bright and resourceful, and is no match for the Adjustment Bureau.
He notices Elise three years later, on his bus route to work. He tells the driver to stop, David steps off the bus and hustles after her. He told her that he lost her phone number. She listened to him, with an incredulous look on her face. Davis told her that he has been riding the same bus for three years, in the hopes of eventually spotting here. She didn't get any creepy, stalker vibe from that story. Elise found the story charming and sweet. This is the beginning of a lifelong relationship.
The Bureau interferes with the lives of people. They are the people that nudge individuals back on 'plan'. This Bureaucracy reminiscent of the one seen in the Mel Brooks picture, Defending Your Life. The Adjustment Bureau is organized like a large governmental agency. Members of the Bureau do not have a full understanding of what is actually going on. Not one member of the Adjustment Bureau seems completely omnipotent. In fact, the entire organization seems all too human. Second in command, Thompson (Stamp), is a stern, no-nonsense, authoritative man. A Robert Stack-like character, you know he means business. The man on the top of this organizational hierarchy is called “The Chairman”. The identity of “The Chairman” is never revealed. For all I know, it could be George Burns, Morgan Freeman, or even Arthur Fonzarelli.
This movie, the romance between David and Elise, seems so contrived. In a Sci-Fi movie, this usually is not a huge deal. However, in The Adjustment Bureau, there is such great emphasis placed on the romance between David and Elise. You just don’t know these two characters very well. They just seem to have some sort of profound mystical bond, for no apparent reason.
Theological elements of this film are in place to examine larger existential questions. These questions concern the choices human beings make. One conclusion I drew, the decisions we make as people are hardly ever purely logical or purely emotional.
Philip K. Dick’s stands as one of the more prolific Science-Fiction writers of the 20th century. He is right up therewith Asimov and Vonnegut. Film adaptations of his stories include: Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, and The Minority Report. The Minority Report, is probably the best of those movies. Like The Minority Report, The Adjustment Bureau examines free will and determinism (I know the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. This isn't a philosophy text book.). He not preachy, and he lets people raise their own conclusions.
There are scenes in this movie that were sublime. As a whole it’s not perfect, but it is entertaining, as well as intellectually and emotionally stimulating. This film is definitely a mixed bag, and it falls just short of greatness. As for the ending, I would call it good enough. Should you see this film? The choice is yours.
Final Verdict: 85 out of 100.