THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU – The Review

The concept of fate in cinema is one that’s been around for ages, even longer if you consider it’s prevalence in literature and longer yet when you consider that storytelling itself is nearly as old as the conscious man himself. So, this raises the question of how one makes a film about fate that’s not been done before, or more precisely… how to do it well?

Writer and first-time director George Nolfi had his head in the right place with THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, given that it all began with Philip K. Dick. The film is adapted from Dick’s short story called “Adjustment Team” and carries the trademark science-fiction fingerprint of the late, beloved genre author. The film toys playfully with the idea of there being a creator, or more accurately a controller in this case, and a special breed of beings tasked with enforcing that creator’s plans.

Matt Damon (HEREAFTER, INVICTUS) stars as David Norris, a young up-and-coming politician with a penchant for being a loose cannon, but powers beyond his perception have special plans for him. The Adjustment Bureau is determined to see these plans come to fruition. Enter the girl… Elise Sellas — played by Emily Blunt (THE WOLFMAN, SUNSHINE CLEANING) — is a talented ballerina with a predetermined future of her own, but what neither of them know upon meeting and falling in love, is that fate will work to keep them apart at any cost.

Nolfi had previously written screenplays for TIMELINE, OCEAN’S TWELVE and THE SENTINEL, but his best-known work is likely THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. Intentionally or not, BOURNE has it’s influences seeping through into THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, and I don’t just mean with it’s shared star. The SteadiCam action and feel of controlled chaos in the film make it impossible not to recall Damon’s super-soldier-on-the-run trilogy, but this also isn’t detrimental to the story. This essence of following Norris in real-time in his mad dash to prove he is in control of his own life, collides successfully with the breaks in reality as The Adjustment Bureau defies the laws of physics as we know them, giving the sense of something surreal in the real world.

While the premise may sound cheesy or sappy on it’s surface, Nolfi managed to do a great job keeping the pretentious nature of such a story at a minimum, never taking itself too seriously, but also staying firmly rooted in reality. Special effects are used sparingly, only as absolutely necessary. To make up for the lack of high-dollar visual extravagance, the film employs some subtle visual queues and a well-planned color palette to help lead the audience through the shifting emotions and conscious progression of David Norris. Likewise, the original music from Thomas Newman plays a significant role in carrying the proper tone thought out the film; high-tempo pace with low-key undertones.

Damon and Blunt played off each other well. Damon upheld his more typical Bourne-esque persona, but it works here. Anthony Mackie (THE HURT LOCKER), who plays a troubled Bureau Agent named Harry, gives yet another understated performance that hits a nerve. John Slattery (MAD MEN) plays Richardson, the Bureau Field Agent in charge of Norris’ case, and serves as both a friendly conflict to Norris and a pitch-perfect source of comic relief.

In addition to a handful of well-placed and enjoyable celebrity cameos, Terence Stamp (THE LIMEY, GET SMART) appears in an extremely fitting surprise role that fans of his career should greatly appreciate. Overall, THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU feels awkwardly familiar, but coincidentally this adds to the effect of a story about accidentally stumbling upon the truth behind fate and free will.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars