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The question of predetermination, fate, and our choices, have been written about, sung about, and thought about, virtually since mankind crawled out of the primordial ooze and looked up. Is there a God, an omnipotent being watching over us, and if so, what is he or she doing up there? How do we know that we’re supposed to catch that bus, or not get on that plane, or turn left instead of right? Are these choices we make, or are they part of a bigger, grander plan about which we have no idea? The Adjustment Bureau doesn’t attempt to answer those questions – at least, not in any way other than superficially, but it’s a film that does ask a lot of the viewer in terms of questioning the philosophical aspects of our lives. And it’s all wrapped up in a romantic drama starring Matt Damon. Who knew, right?

David Norris (Matt Damon) is an up-and-coming political candidate for the state of New York, and looks set to win a seat in the senate before a front page scandal breaks, skewering his chances of election – indeed, on election night, his campaign is practically in the toilet. As if to highlight this metaphor, Norris winds up practicing his concession speech in the mens room of a hotel, whereupon he meets Elise (Emily Blunt), a dancer from New York who happens to hear his mumbled practicing. The two have a spark, a chemistry, although he knows not her name or where she’s from. One day, riding a bus to work, he chances upon Elise again, and they engage once more in verbal flirtation – this time, however, she gives him her phone number. Once he’s off the bus, however, David is chased down by a group of mysterious men, men all wearing Fedora hats, who take him to a strange warehouse where they proceed to tell him that his choices, his meetings with Elise, will no longer occur. He is to never have any contact with Elise again, and they burn the card with her number on it. Apparently, these men, from a place known as The Adjustment Bureau, can read minds, control fate, and know what you’re going to do before you do it. David, of course, can’t stop thinking about Elise, and as you’d expect, rebels against the explicit instructions he’s been given not to seek her out. Three years later, he spots her walking down the street. The mysterious hat wearing men once more must pursue David and convince him to end his relationship with her.

And that’s all in the first twenty minutes. The Adjustment Bureau isn’t a romantic comedy, or an out-and-out sci-fi opus, but rather, a gently stirred mix of both. On the one hand, the romance between Damon’s Norris, and Emily Blunts Elise is well handled, believable, and meaningful. They have a great chemistry together, and you can feel that raw energy whenever they’re on screen. On the other hand, the mysterious hat wearing guys over at the Adjustment Bureau run about with weird books which can tell the future or something, like an idea out of Star Trek. This combination might feel a little strange at first, but as the film progresses, it becomes more natural, less intrusive, and simply a part of the world we’re asked to accept. Director George Nolfi, who wrote the screenplay based on the Philip K Dick short story “The Adjustment Team” – yeah, I’m glad they changed it to “Bureau” as well – has done well with keeping the concepts fairly simple; he’s minimized the number of characters in the film, and restrained the concept of predicting events to a fairly low-key element within the movie. That’s not to say there aren’t some great moments in the film, it’s just that they’re not shot or presented in a way, say, Michael Bay might deliver them.

The cast are uniformly excellent, even in the smaller roles. Leading man Matt Damon is excellent as the confused, then lovestruck, then resolute Norris, who sacks up to the Bureau and fights for the woman he loves. Emily Blunt does equally well, especially in her roles requirement that she be an excellent dancer, and she brings a strength to Elise that is needed – given the distance and time both Elise and Norris take to find each other properly, she’s got a lot of waiting to do. Blunt more than carries her side of their relationship. John Slattery is fairly generic as the leading Bureau man assigned to Norris’s case, and latecomer to the film Terrence Stamp rocks it out as this films version of Il Duce – he’s the last man standing between Norris and a dire fate, and he will do almost anything to see that the Chairman’s orders are carried out. Anthony Mackie is smooth as the Bureau operative who assists Norris in his plan to rescue Elise, even though at one point, Norris leaves her sobbing in a hospital corridor after she sprains her ankle.

The setting for the film is New York City, and John Toll’s breathtaking cinematography really shines – literally and figuratively. This film looks amazing, the colors and vibrancy of the image a truly postcard-styled love-letter to the Big Apple. I think it’s somewhat serendipitous that the story occurs in the labyrinthine streets of Manhattan, considering the almost equally sinuous pathways our lives actually take, and perhaps this was a key element to choosing to film in NYC. I think The Adjustment Bureau has some world class cinematography, so I’d like to call out John Toll for a special mention here. Great work, fella! Thomas Newmans score is also excellent, nuanced and layered, with an evocative central theme in which Norris and Elise fall in love. I expected nothing else.

The story flows at what seems like a brisk pace, but is actually fairly pedestrian, almost as if Nolfi is letting the script breathe a little between chase sequences. There’s great character development between Norris and Elise throughout, and the subtle hints at a larger story with the Bureau keeps churning along in the background, offering tidbits of vital clues as to what’s going on. The great thing about Nolfi’s direction is that he never overplays his hand, showing the inner workings of the Bureau in glorious pornographic detail, and this serves to heighten the mystery. He’s prepared to leave a little mystery in place, and it’s to his credit that he does this. It makes the viewer question what’s going on – even as things start to become clear, new twists and turns begin. If it’s any indication of just how well crafted this film is, my wife, the gorgeous Lisa T, who normally finds slowly paced films “boring” – her words, not mine – found this to be an absorbing, exciting and entertaining film to watch. I guess if you’re looking for a positive endorsement for The Adjustment Bureau, that would be it.

What Others Are Saying About The Adjustment Bureau:

Will over at Silver Emulsion said this: “It’s missing a lot of the tension it seems to think it has, not to mention it’s rather boring and illogical, but it is entirely watchable.”

Sam over at Anomalous Material thinks this: “For all the misfires and its sometimes less-than audacious script, The Adjustment Bureau does a good job of infusing an intricate and engrossing storyline with remarkably good performances.”

Dan over at Dan The Man’s Movie Reviews had this to say: “The premise here is actually a very smart one, but it isn’t used to it’s advantage honestly.”

And finally, Rory from Above The Line dissected this film thusly: “There are exactly three minutes of movie that you’ll end up taking with you after the credits roll.”

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Who wrote this?

Rodney Twelftree

“Some people say I like films. Those people are wrong. I *love* films.” – Me. I said this.

Rodney has been writing about films for well over two decades, appreciates a good wine, the love of his wife and kids, and the affection of his dog and cats. He has a fondness of cheesy 90’s action and classic Hollywood, hates that physical media is disappearing, and wishes somebody would make a high-budget series of The Neverending Story.

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