Title, Year: The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Director: George Nolfi
I haven’t bothered writing a review in a while. This is in part because time gets away from me. Quite frankly, there just isn’t enough of time available these days for me to justify indulging myself. That’s not the only reason though. I’ve been watching movies of course. Movies that just haven’t inspired me to say too much about them, I can tell you that for sure. I’ve seen some decent comedies. Adam Sandler’s Just Go With It was fun. I’ve also seen some good dramas. Jeff Bridges did a nice turn as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit, which was a very good movie indeed…as long as you could decipher what people were saying. (If you see the movie you will know what I mean.) Yet, even so, I have not been compelled to write a review. Then I watched The Adjustment Bureau.
A great movie tells a story and tells it well. I think The Adjustment Bureau is a great movie. Based on a Philip K. Dick short story, this is science fiction done right. My favorite sci-fi takes the wildest stretches of our imagination and factors them into our current world. It gives you the sense that there really are mind-boggling things going on in our world, we just don’t know about it yet. This film takes that sense of wonder and weaves it into a story about two people who find true love…the “meant to be” kind. The narrative is quick and the pace is nearly perfect. I was riveted to the screen waiting at each moment to find out what was going to come next. I credit Matt Damon (as an up and coming politician) and Emily Blunt (as a ballet dancer who crosses paths with our politician) for having wonderful chemistry together. They leave no doubt that these two really have a substantial connection. This turns out to be integral to the story and if the relationship between the two didn’t come across as good as it does on screen I probably wouldn’t be writing this review. However, I am writing this review because I thoroughly enjoyed their performances. I enjoyed just about everything in this extremely interesting movie.
As far as the plot, I really don’t want to give anything away. I’ll just say that there is a secret organization that intervenes into the life of David Norris (Matt Damon) and that they underestimate his drive and passion to achieve what he sets out for. After how he sold the Jason Bourne role, there’s no one I can think of who would have been a better choice for this role. He has a very clean cut image and you never doubt that this guy is going to fight for what he believes in. He takes the audience right with him on his mission. Emily Blunt displays grace, a nice sense of humor, and frailty all within a few scenes. In a much smaller role than Damon’s, she clearly makes the most of it.
That’s it. That’s all I’ll say about the movie. I hope you’ll read this and give it a shot. Wait…I’ll say a bit more. It’s smart, mysterious, engaging, well made, and in the end feels complete. With that said, what makes it great is the casting of Damon and Blunt. They really made the movie for me. Check it out and see for yourself.
