It can't be easy adapting one of Philip K. Dick's science fiction stories, yet Hollywood keeps trying. His ideas are always so large and intimidating that few make for easy marketing strategies. The ones that have a healthy dose of action to encompass the central idea, such as Blade Runner or Total Recall, can rightfully be considered classics. Some of the more philosophical, like say A Scanner Darkly, have died unseen deaths. And then there are the ones that just flat out stink, like Paycheck or Next. The Adjustment Bureau is unique even amongst all the other adaptations. At first glance it appears to be just another thriller with a hint of sci-fi around the edges, but once you sit down and let yourself become engrossed in the world perfectly created by writer/director George Nolfi, you discover that science fiction is just a small piece of a grander puzzle.
Nolfi might be a name you're not familiar with, but he's made his bones as screenwriter on movies you've definitely seen, such as The Bourne Ultimatum. He brings a gift for grounded character work to a decidedly ungrounded concept, buffeted by a charismatic performance by Matt Damon. As home grown, "Aw shucks" politician David Norris, Damon is so believable I wouldn't be surprised if he ran for office some day. David is on the verge of greatness. A shining star of a politician who connects with blue collar people by being a guy who always tells the truth. He's led a tough life, with his family gone since he was young, but he fought hard and built himself into a winner. Just as he's about to see all the lofty expectations validated by being elected US Senator, a years old scandal tears his campaign apart. Losing the election, he goes off to sulk in the men's room but is shocked to run into a hiding woman, Elise(Emily Blunt). Their conversation is light, but insightful, allowing for instant romantic sparks to fly. It inspires David to give a brilliant concession speech, furthering the hope of future political glory.
Elise appeared just as David needed her most. It all seemed so perfect, almost like it was pre-destined. Months pass, and David can't get her out of his mind. Then one day out of the clear blue, there she is on the bus. That could be a problem. Somebody screwed up somewhere, because David and Elise were never to see eachother again after that first day. The Adjustment Bureau were supposed to stop it from happening. The Bureau are the pullers of the strings of fate. That unseen guided hand that steers the events of our lives and that of the world. They walk amongst us in plain sight, wearing their Mad Men inspired suits fix the world's greatest anomalies. Somehow David and Elise are on that list. Somebody VERY high up wants these two lovebirds to stay far away from eachother. They capture and threaten David, but he's determined to fight against some very heavy odds to forge his own path. He's aided in his quest by Harry Mitchell(Anthony Mackie), an "adjuster" who wants to see fate twisted just once.
A film that sees the main characters being chased up and down the streets of New York might not seem the place for it, but The Adjustment Bureau is at it's heart an unconventional love story, one that pits David and Elise against destiny itself. Nolfi's script strikes just the right balance of action and character, but it helps to have Matt Damon in the lead. He has a unique ability to make every single role he plays believable. The same goes for Emily Blunt, more playful here than I've ever seen her. She and Damon have impeccable chemistry, and the bulk of the film is spent as David and Elise grow ever closer. A scene where David unveils to her the burdens of his past and the many mistakes he's made is so perfectly pitched. Under less skilled hands that would be one sappy piece of work.
Defying easy genre labels, there's very little in the way of intense action. The vast majority of it takes place near the end with the introduction of Thompson(Terrance Stamp), a veteran adjuster known for crushing rebellious targets like David once and for all. The intensity picks up with his arrival, but Nolfi's script still finds time to brush upon some crucial spiritual ideas. There's an obvious "Plan" in place that the adjusters are trying to adhere to, but who is giving them their marching orders? And if this Plan really does exist for every one of us, can we effect it? Nolfi is smart enough not to delve too deep into the whole "free will" issue, touching on it just enough to intrigue without bogging down the story.
All isn't perfect, however. While all of the actors are great, the lack of a real enemy is troublesome at times. I understand that the ultimate rival is....well, a bit unreachable, but none of the adjusters adequately fill that void. The ending is a bit tidy for a film that has so many layers to it. I'm not sure how Dick would've felt about that.
While not as grand in terms of production, The Adjustment Bureau is no less ambitious Inception. Combining multiple elements in a way that Christopher Nolan would no doubt appreciate, this is a film that will pull at your heart while also keeping you on the edge of your seat. Then when you leave youre going to want to keep talking about what is clearly the first great film of the year.
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