jamiemarks-1

21 May 2012

Great acting and lovely romantic chemistry, but the story and screenplay brings it down.

The Adjustment Bureau has received mixed reviews on here so far and Iam not surprised. The trailer has been marketed deceptively to theaudience of an science fiction, action thriller and it only has one ofthe three. The thing is I knew specifically what the film was as one ofmy friends who saw it told me, a romantic drama. My rating for thisfilm wasn't as high as I wanted to be as for a while I was internallystruggling whether to award this a six or seven out of ten, but Idecided on a six in the end.The plot consists of young man David Norris (Matt Damon) who is runningfor senate in New York. He ends up meeting a beautiful ballerina EliseSellas (Emily Blunt) in the men's bathroom whilst practising a speech.They hit it off immediately and meet again on the bus, but a mysteriousgroup of men dressed in hats are tailing him and he eventually findsout that they are part of a mysterious bureau that control the choicesthat humans make due to the past historical atrocities. One man calledThompson (Terence Stamp) tells him. The bureau helps certain people getto the "top" to help keep the world in order. They try to keep Davidand Elise apart as David is destined to become down the road thepresident of America and him being with her would ruin that.But he refuses to heed them and threatens to expose their existence sothey do everything they can to stop him, which includes using some sortof magic with their hats, which enable them to walk through doors thatlead to different locations. David with help from one of the bureauHarry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie) helps him get Elise back and outrun therest of the bureau.The main reason to see this movie and what keep it afloat is the greatacting from the two main characters. Matt Damon gives a surprisinglytouching performance of a man torn between his career and love forElise. He is even convincing as a man running for the senate. EmilyBlunt is even better with a terrific performance and has a wonderfulcharming charisma that won me over. The chemistry between her and Damonis superb and convincing and you do feel as though they love eachother. They are a charming couple, which make them likable and you wantthem to be together. The supporting performance from Terence Stamp andAnthony Mackie are good and lend decent support to the main cast. Thescript has it moments of sparky wit particularly in the first couple ofscenes between Blunt and Damon and the cinematography of the scenery ismesmerising. The story is also interesting to an extent of choices, fate and love,but it dosen't go far enough in depth and just brush strokes over itand there some plot holes and unanswered questions like how was thebureau created and when? And the ending was rather silly. As Harryexplains to them, they are allowed to stay together because thechairperson changed the plan, but why didn't they just change it tothat in the first place? Why put everyone through that? Harry mentionsit might be a test and that the chairperson was won over by theirdetermination to be together, but it is too vague and apparently thechairperson can take any form. How? Of another person? Animal? If theycan take the form of any person, did their decision to change the planalter because of the "person" they took have different opinions onthings? It's never explained and as a result the screenplay just feelsempty with huge voids that should have been filled.It's a good film and I recommend seeing it, but it isn't all it'scracked up to be with even the action it had being of littleexcitement. Damon and Blunt's acting and their romantic chemistrythough carry this film afloat, but it was disappointing as it did havethe potential to be much more than it delivered. All the same I enjoyedit from beginning to end and if you want a nice romance film then thisis for you.

21 May 2012

Great !!

LOVED this movie at the theatre, and ordering it on BluRay. I agree that the plot is more creative and interesting than most movies like it. It is a great, entertaining movie to see with someone special :)

20 May 2012

Good film

This review is from: The Adjustment Bureau [Blu-ray/DVD Combo] (Blu-ray) This is a good movie, without the gratuitous violence that Hollywood often adds to Philip-K.-Dick-based scripts. We only watched the DVD version on a laptop so far.

19 May 2012

The Adjustment Bureau - Essential Viewing!!

This review is from: The Adjustment Bureau [Blu-ray/DVD Combo] (Blu-ray) The Adjustment Bureau - A hard film to stick in a particular genre. It's a Romantic Science Fiction film that deals focuses on fate and idea that a power out with our human control is manipulating events and deciding our destiny. Essentially this film is a love story between a hot shot politician (Matt Damon) and a up and coming ballet dancer (Emily Blunt) both on their way to greatness. This film works so well due to chemistry that Damon and Blunt have on screen. Dealing with such controversial concepts such as God and Fate is challenging to convey to an audience, but George Nolfi's seems to have managed to present these themes in a smart and digestible way. So far this is my favorite film of the year and I would give it a (B+) - Highly Recommended!!

ajs-10

18 May 2012

An interesting adaptation of the Philip K. Dick short story...

Based on a short story called 'The Adjustment Team' by Philip K. Dick,the ideas behind this film intrigued me from the moment I first heardabout it. Imagine a world where your fates are determined for you andif you stray from your prescribed path, an adjustment is made to putyou back on it. The 'people' responsible for making the adjustmentsare, of course, 'The Adjustment Bureau'. Now you know that, I can writea brief summary (summary haters and those that don't wish to knowanything about the plot please try on some stylish hats while I writethe next paragraph).David Norris is a young ambitious politician; he is running for theSenate, representing New York, when his campaign is de-railed by ascandal from his past. Resigned to defeat, he retires to the men'swashroom to practice his speech. There he meets dancer Elise Sellas whohe instantly falls in love with. She gives him the confidence to give abrilliant speech that galvanises the public enough to call for him tostand for election at a later date… but that's in the future. He is soenamoured with Elise that, when he meets her again the very next day,he asks for her number, which she gives him. Now, the path that hasbeen prescribed for David Norris does not include a relationship withElise Sellas. In steps the Adjustment Bureau in the guise of a group ofagents led by a character known as Richardson. They do all they can tokeep the couple apart and even reveal themselves to David in an effortto make him see sense. Unfortunately for them, he is determined to bewith her and eventually the case is sent up to the next level andThompson takes charge. He gives David a choice, either continue on thispath and ruin both of their lives, or take the path prescribed for him.It's a tough decision, but David has an ally in Harry Mitchell, who hasbeen following him for a long time. And it's here I'll leave mysummary… don't want to give too much away.This is a very well made film with some great special effects, but itis the story that drives the action and not the other way around. It isvery much a love story, but a love story with a rather cunning twistand one that I very much enjoyed. All of the leading cast areexcellent; Matt Damon as David Norris, Emily Blunt as Elise Sellas,John Slattery as Richardson, Michael Kelly as Charlie Traynor, AnthonyMackie as Harry Mitchell and Terence Stamp as Thompson.I love the premise of this film and, although I enjoyed it very much, Ifelt there was a little too much focus on the love story and not enoughon the bureau. Maybe it's just me, but I never really felt there wasenough chemistry between the two lovers to warrant the effort put in bythe David Norris character. In the end though, it's a perfectlywatchable entertaining film, without being particularly mind-bending orspectacular. Better than average and recommended.My score: 7.2/10

18 May 2012

Original Idea!

This review is from: The Adjustment Bureau (Amazon Instant Video) I do not remember ever watching another movie like this. It comes from a Philip K. Dick short story, which does not surprise me as his works are somewhat off the wall (in a good way!). This is a very interesting movie, with a cool and fun plot. At then end, there are some unanswered questions that, to me, only add to the mystique of the movie. What is the purpose of all that happens? Why is there a "plan?" Who is in charge and why?

themoviemavens

12 May 2012

Solid Action/Romance with a Few Forgivable Flaws

I must admit – I was a little intimidated with the prospect of seeingdirector/screenwriter George Nolfi's 'The Adjustment Bureau'. Fresh offthe heels of my 'Inception' experience a few weeks ago, I was fairlywell convinced I would leave the theater a quivering pile of confusedbrain mass, too ashamed to reach out for answers. But 'The AdjustmentBureau' did not go the way of 'Inception' in that its sole purpose wasapparently not to play kickball with the viewers' sense of reality andleave you so befuddled you'd be questioning your ability to makerational judgments for weeks to come. No, 'The Adjustment Bureau' (A/B)was a kinder, gentler foray into the genre of reality-bendingthrillers. Truthfully, to call The 'A/B' a thriller would be about asaccurate as calling 'It's a Wonderful Life' a Christmas film. It willundoubtedly be categorized that way, mostly for the sake ofcategorization, but at its heart, it's an unapologetic romance. MattDamon (David Norris) and Emily Blunt (Elise Sellas) star as two haplesssouls who may or may not be destined for one another – if they couldonly have a moment's solitude to figure that out. They're besieged by amysterious group of men in hats who call themselves The AdjustmentBureau, and they've been charged with keeping David and Elise apart forreasons of which they themselves aren't really sure. Loosely explained,The Adjustment Bureau functions as a kind of metaphysical CIA – theyexist to ensure that the actions of human beings go according to plan.The way it's explained is that human beings have free will about theinconsequential things, but for matters of great import, well, thosedecisions are much too weighty to be left up to chance. When Norrisreminds one of the Bureau members that the world is plenty screwed upeven with their intervention, he quickly retorts, "If we left it up toyou, there would be no earth at all." So David and Elise spend theentirety of the film attempting to shirk the influence of FatePersonified. These men in menacing dark suits and ubiquitous fedoraspossess limited abilities to control the physical world, and are ableto intuit the next logical action their subjects will take withouthaving the ability to read minds. They are all in possession of littleblack books that chart out their subjects' life maps in real-time.Which is why it's confounding that in the first 15 minutes of the film,Matt Damon's character, innocently enough, manages to give them theslip, and stumbles upon some secret information about theirorganization that puts both he and Blunt's characters in peril. Sufficeto say, The A/B needs better security. With so many resources, and helpfrom 'on high', how, oh how could they be so easily foiled by someonewho's not even attempting to acquire behind the scenes knowledge oftheir organization? I couldn't help but think that mistakes like thatmust happen all the time in a secret organization where employeeshaven't quite figured out how to lock doors. For reasons that werenever explained, The A/B only seems to be concerned with the activitiesof those residing in New York City. Apparently, there are very fewfate-altering decisions that are made outside of Manhattan proper. Gofigure. There also seems to be a lack of enforcement of the CelestialEqual Opportunity Employment Act (assuming such an act exists), beingthat there are apparently no women who can be entrusted with guidingthe decisions of mankind (or womankind, if you will). Nevertheless, TheA/B has a lot going for it. For starters, its star, Matt Damon hasenough charisma to carry the film from start to finish. He and Bluntwork well on screen together, although I never felt truly invested intheir romance. The A/B seems to suffer from the same ailment thatplagues so many psychological dramas – how do you keep your audienceinformed about the premise of the film, while still leaving room forthe human elements that cause the viewer to make an emotionalinvestment? I'm not sure that The A/B has quite solved that conundrum.I found myself rooting for the Damon/Blunt characters, only because Iknew I was supposed to – not necessarily because I 'believed' in themas a couple. Likewise, there were times where I felt as though thepremise was being hastily explained to leave room for plenty ofdrama/romance/action. As Oprah likes to say, "You can have it all, butyou can't have it all at the same time." That fact becomes quiteevident when a film like The A/B tries to cram so much 'film' into onefilm. Thankfully, screenwriter Nolfi didn't resort to 'mile-a-minute'dialogue to cover more ground than he was capable of covering in thefilm's 1 hr, 39 min. runtime. What we're treated to is a genuinelyearnest film that encourages the viewer to believe that in the end,love really does conquer all. David and Elise are repeatedly rippedapart by Fate, only to continue making an effort to find one anotheragain. I have to admit that this sort of film is right up my alley.Scripts that play around with concepts of reality/fate/truth/theafterlife/time travel in an intelligent way tend to speak to me withouthaving to say very much. As long as I'm not able to drive a Delorianthrough the potholes, I'm golden. If you're a fan of films such as Menin Black, Sliding Doors, Serendipity and even Monsters, Inc. and Wizardof Oz, you're likely to find yourself in welcome territory. Sure, thefilm veers off into some corny/preachy moments towards the end, butoverall, I was captivated, interested and entertained. What more canyou ask from a drama/action/thriller/suspense/romance film?Rating: 8/10 *

12 May 2012

Love and Free Will and Destiny

Philip K. Dick ((December 16, 1928 - March 2, 1982) grows more popular as a writer in contemporary culture than he was during his lifetime. He typically focused on the fragile nature of what is "real" and the construction of personal identity. His stories often become surreal fantasies as the main characters slowly discover that their everyday world is actually an illusion constructed by powerful external entities, vast political conspiracies, or simply from the vicissitudes of an unreliable narrator. All of his work starts with the basic assumption that there cannot be one, single, objective reality. Everything is a matter of perception. The ground is liable to shift under your feet. A protagonist may find himself living out another person's dream, or he may enter a drug-induced state that actually makes better sense than the real world, or he may cross into a different universe completely.' Given this background information about the origin of the idea of THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, the story adapted for the screen from Dick's 'Adjustment Team' by writer/director George Nolfi (The Bourne series, Ocean's Twelve, etc), offers a new appreciation for this well-timed suspense thriller love story - 'Love' being the operative word.David Norris (Matt Damon) is running for New York Senator guided by the counsel of his friend and campaign manager Charlie (Michael Kelly) and they seem to be on a wining track. David meets the very beautiful dancer Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) in the strangest of circumstances and their attraction, peppered with very fine comic repartee, is immediately apparently. Past faux pas of David's appear in the media and his chances of winning the election seem to be diminishing. At this point David meets some hatted gentlemen - Richardson (John Slattery) and Harry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie) - who represent the adjustment bureau, a group of men who follow the life plan set by the Chairman to keep people in line with their intended destinies. David is instructed to never see Elise again as she is not part of his planned life (a career that despite setbacks is supposed to eventually lead to the Presidency of the US). From this point on it becomes a challenge for David to either obey the adjustment team or follow his heart and be with Emily. After a separation of three years David sees Elise again and the fire of love burns even more brightly. David is warned that if he follows his heart (his free will) he not only will not become the man of his career dreams but that he will also destroy Elise's assigned future of becoming the world's most honored dancer/choreographer. Which drives succeed and how they happen is a wild chase by David and Elise to run toward their own free will through mazes and secret passages and strange situations a s devised by Richardson, aided by Harry, and controlled by Richardson's replacement, Thompson (Terrance Stamp). It is a struggle between destiny and free will.There is a fine line in Philip K. Dick's story ideas that teeters between the credible and the pure sci-fi direction. In this film the midline is found and the reason the strange story succeeds so well is due in great part to the extraordinary on-screen chemistry between Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, two actors who continue to grow in stature, having that ability to pull off sophisticated comedy with action packed suspense. The entire cast is excellent and seems to be responsive to the well-conceived direction of George Nolfi. THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU is first and foremost a love story, and a very fine one at that. In order to completely appreciate this film the audience must relax and go along with Dick's ideas - then it all seems very right! Grady Harp, June 11

homerharper75

12 May 2012

pure unadulterated tripe

Do yourself a big favour and give this one a miss. Words fail me indescribing how lame it is and I don't want to waste any more time eventhinking about this tripe movie. It dragged along pitifully until Ireached the point where death would have been a welcome release. Abouthalf way through I had lost the will to live and although I didn't walkout before the end ( it was touch and go though ) I suffered terriblyuntil the credits came up at the end and I was able to make a swiftexit. I generally like Matt Damon but he has plumbed new depths withthis offering. I went to this on the strength of the score given onhere of 7.2 but made the mistake of not checking on the opinions of acouple of reviewers that I tend to agree with. Anyway, better luck nexttime I hope.

Amy Adler

11 May 2012

This world needs adjusting, no doubt about that; the film could have used some tweaking, too, but is still worthwhile

David Morris (Matt Damon) is a rising politician for New York. Fromhumble roots in Brooklyn, he is now a state representative and runningfor Congress. Unfortunately, near the end of a successful campaign, araucus incident from his past resurfaces and, on election night, Davidloses. But, his disappointment is somewhat mitigated when he meets abeautiful lady, Elise (Emily Blunt) in the MEN'S ROOM at the campaignhotel. Elise, a ballet dancer, is hiding from security, as she crasheda wedding on the upper levels for a free meal. Supposed to be writinghis concession speech, David has a definite connection with thisgraceful and captivating woman. However, he doesn't get her name ornumber. A few weeks later, David is catching a Manhattan bus for hisnew business job when, dumbstruck, he spies Elise on the vehicle, too.This time, he manages to ascertain her name and all of the importantinformation. Fate, unfortunately steps in. Not only does the slip ofpaper with her number get lost, David finds himself locked in a parkinggarage with the "men in hats". There, they tell the young politicianthat are in "charge of the world" and that he is not fated to be withElise. If he pursues her, bad things might happen, to her and to him.Calling themselves The Adjustment Bureau, these men try to persuadeDavid that only on their intervention is the world avoiding a fewhundred mushroom clouds. Therefore, he, David, is going to be electedsenator and, possibly more, in the future but Elise is not for him.Stunned, David is torn between his love for this lady and his ownaspirations. Only one of the hatted men, Harry (Anthony Mackey) seemsto understand his heartache. Will Harry buck the bureau and "re-adjust"the fate of the young couple? First, the premise of the film, a storyby the incomparable Philip K. Dick, is truly fine but, perhaps, a bitdated. One can see the action as more relevant to the fifties andsixties, where nuclear war was on everyone's minds and politicians werestill viewed as folks capable of uplifting a nation, rather than themore depressing circumstances of the new century. Also, the tale runsout of steam about a third from the finish, dampening the spirits ofthe audience. Its too bad. Not at fault are the two main actors, Damonand Blunt, for they are very great. One can only wish there werepoliticos like Damon and Blunt is rapidly becoming a favorite, for sheis beautiful and brainy, both. The supporting cast, including Mackeyand Terence Stamp, is nice as well. Lovely, too, are the beautifulsets, costumes, photography and effects. Yet, as the script is aletdown, so is the direction, for it doesn't build to a powerful endingor "mix it up" enough to sustain a high level of relevancy. So. If youare fan of Dick's other film translations, such as Blade Runner,Paycheck, Minority Report, and Next, you should probably get a ticketfor this one, also, or grab the DVD when it arrives. Despite itsweaknesses, one finds oneself pondering its ideas after the cinemalights go back up. Or, if you like Damon or Blunt, you should make timefor it, too. But, although it hurts to write a less than glowingaccount, this flick doesn't hit the "wow" factor.

bmennen

10 May 2012

Not a RomCom, but a RomDram, and pretty dreadful...

First the good: Matt Damon and Emily Blunt were very good, the NYCscenery was real and the special effects and cinematography were nice;BUT the plot was paper thin, silly and worthy only of a short sci-fistory from the fifties...Oh, you say, it WAS based on a sci-fi short story from the fifties?Hmmm...they must have written and rewritten the screen play until theyhad it stretched to three hours, shot enough film for 4 hours and thenfinally cut it to two. At least with RomComs there are a few laughsscattered around so you're not totally bored; not so here where thismovie takes itself waaaaay too seriously.It would have made a good "Twilight Zone" back in the 1960s...RodSerling opening and closing would have have made it better. Andspeaking of better, John Calvin had it pegged in the 16th century, buthe wasn't silly.

chrismsawin

09 May 2012

An all around amazing film

Considering all the garbage movie critics have to sit through in ayear, it's pretty amazing when a film that's smarter than most hitstheaters and makes a bit of an impact. Independent films are one thing,but major ones released by bigger studios are even a bigger deal whenthis occurs. I think that's one of the reasons Inception was so great.Creativity and intelligence are two things that are usually lackingfrom blockbusters. The Adjustment Bureau is a film that has a bit moreto it than you're probably expecting. Based on "The Adjustment Group,"a short story by Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner, Total Recall, MinorityReport), The Adjustment Bureau has probably already caught yourattention either because you're a fan of Dick's work and/or the moviesthat were adapted from it.The film's charm is definitely in its explanation for things. The waythe bureau works and how they function is a wonder in itself. You'llnever look at a door or a man wearing a hat the same way again afterviewing the film. Perhaps the most interesting is Thompson'sexplanation of how events in history like The Great Depression and TheHolocaust came about. The story is very imaginative and different fromthe norm, which is always a fantastic change in pace when it comes tofilm. At the same time though, those who like having absolutelyeverything explained to them will probably be disappointed. TheAdjustment Bureau explains enough to get the wheels in your brainturning and leaves some things open to your interpretation, which couldhurt someone's overall opinion of the film depending on the viewer.I've never been the biggest Matt Damon fan. My favorite memoryinvolving him was the Team America parody that he wasn't even involvedwith, but I think of that "Matt Damon!" line every time I see him onscreen. However, he did have strong showings in both Hereafter and TrueGrit from last year. He keeps the trend going here. David seems to be aguy who was once fueled by speaking in front of hundreds of people andpolitics, but has now replaced that void with Elyse. The chemistry hehas with Elyse, despite feeling somewhat brief, is one of the drivingfactors of the film. Anthony Mackie winds up being the most memorablebureau agent mostly because he has an emotional tie to David, but JohnSlattery and Terence Stamp have some pretty noteworthy performances aswell.I have the impression that a lot of people will write this off as a MenIn Black ripoff, but The Adjustment Bureau is a bit more clever thaneither Men In Black film. The films surely have their similarities, butThe Adjustment Bureau deserves to be given a chance. I think it'llsurprise a lot of viewers.The Adjustment Bureau is easily the smartest live-action film to bereleased in the first few months of 2011. With a solid cast, a heftyhelping of creativity, and just an absorbing experiencing overall, TheAdjustment Bureau is bound to leave a lasting impression when it comestime to look back on the best films of the year. The film leaves youquestioning how much of your life is really left to fate and chance.Films seem to leave an impression that lasts longer if it makes youthink or strikes a cord or hits close to home in some capacity. Thisfilm does that and then some. It comes highly recommended even if youhave your reservations about it.

dee.reid

08 May 2012

An engrossing, edge-of-your-seat... love story? "The Adjustment Bureau"

"The Adjustment Bureau" has been advertised as a sci-fi thriller aboutthe mysterious behind-the-scenes machinations that may or may not guideour everyday lives as part of some Divine Plan. While it is essentiallya science fiction parable about fate-vs.-free will (based on the PhilipK. Dick short story "Adjustment Team"), at its heart, really, "TheAdjustment Bureau" is a love story, and a very gripping one, at that.Dick (who passed away in 1982), you will remember, has had several ofhis works adapted posthumously into big-budget science fiction classics- the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" became "BladeRunner" (1982), the short story "We Can Remember it For You Wholesale"became "Total Recall" (1990), and the short story "The Minority Report"became "Minority Report" (2002). "The Adjustment Bureau" is the latestDick adaptation to feature stellar performances and intelligent subtextthat asks the ultimate question: Is it possible to deviate from aDivine Plan in favor of one's own destiny? What happens when we pit"What could be" against "What will be"?These are just some of the big question facing David Norris (MattDamon), an aspiring New York congressman running for the U.S. Senate.After a crushing defeat his first time running, he retreats into briefdespair to practice his concession speech. Hope comes in the form of achance meeting with the lovely, free-spirited ballerina Elise (EmilyBlunt). The two thus hit it off immediately, but soon Fate - in theform of the fate-controlling Adjustment Bureau - intervenes and revealsto David that he has a big future ahead of him, a future that couldinclude a bid for the White House. To David, that sounds great. Theproblem: his future doesn't include Elise in it. And the big theatricsin this film feature David using his Free Will to deviate from a BigSet Divine Plan to make his own destiny with the one great love of hislife."The Adjustment Bureau" is the first truly great film of 2011 I've seenso far. After seven months so far of films that have continually failedto capture my interest, "The Adjustment Bureau" is finally a film thatnot only captured my interest, but thoroughly engrossed me in itsstory, characters, humor and carefully-plotted revisionist universe ofa world controlled from behind-the-scenes by mysterious, dapper,fedora-wearing Men in Black Overcoats who manipulate things big andsmall to ensure that things stay on-track according to The Plan. And,trust me, the mysterious Adjustment Bureau pulls out all stops toensure that the plan succeeds, and sometimes these machinations can bequite humorous. But David never ever gives up, despite the many RubeGoldberg-style stumbling blocks put forth by the Bureau to keep him onhis pre-determined path in life.Perhaps more than any other Dick adaptation in the last 30 years, "TheAdjustment Bureau" has characters and situations that are easilyidentifiable to everyday folks like you and me. While previous filmswere mostly set in dystopic futures, this film is set in the present,more or less, so there's no loss of time or space. What's more, howmany of us have ever wondered if the set course we're on in life iswhat is truly meant to be? How many of us have ever wondered ifmysterious forces are working behind-the-scenes guiding our every move?Will we ever meet "The One"? (This latter question is especiallyrelevant to everyday people, in my honest opinion.) If so, can it beGod (or for you spiritualists, agnostics, and New Ageists out there, aHigher Power?)? Allah? Buddha? E.T.? "The Chairman"? Who really knows?Matt Damon has never been better as the high-strung politician tryingto outrun his destiny at every corner. He takes his role seriously andis quite superb, as is his love interest played by Emily Blunt. Theactress is equally important here not just because she's the loveinterest, but her heartbreak as the forces manipulating their livestrying to keep her and David apart really make you hope that they'reable to overcome any pre-determined paths in life and wind up together.From the second they first meet, there's an instant burst of chemistrybetween them, which is something that is rarely achieved in moviesthese days. And what's even greater is that throughout the thick & thinof the plot, that chemistry remains intact and never folds.George Nolfi wrote and directed "The Adjustment Bureau" and while I'mnot sure if this is his debut film and if it is, it's an impressivedebut. Nolfi definitely has a future in the thriller genre if hechooses that route; what does Fate have in store for him, I wonder? Iwas thoroughly on the edge of my seat the entire time throughout thispicture, which ultimately seems like a cross between Dick's own "DoAndroids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and a Hitchcockian-style thriller. Ithink that debt is owed to Nolfi's confident writing and directing, andthe sure-fire performances of the two leads."The Adjustment Bureau" is very easily one of this year's best andsmartest films. Its being largely ignored at the box office onlybaffles me.10/10

08 May 2012

Dumb, da Dumb, Dumb, Dumb

The movie starts with Matt Damon's character David Norris in the heat of elections which he loses, then meets a girl in the men's bathroom and falls in love.Then the Hat People come into picture. They seem to have special powers, but also seem to be utterly incompetent, and don't have problem changing their minds. They kept talking about the Plan, preventing the ripples, and everybody neatly fitting into it, and getting punished if they don't go along with it. Just think about it. There were at least 9 Hat People assigned to Mr David Norris. That being average would mean that 90% of the people should be wearing hats all day long. In the last half of the movie, Matt Damon is running around wearing a hat, presumably giving him special powers. How could wearing a hat give anybody any power?Throughout the movie rules are invoked as needed: you can turn the door knobs one way, unless you are wearing a hat, turn it the other way. What if the door does not have a knob and it has a handle? Maybe they did not think through that one?Another angle to this movie would be Fate versus Free Will. It would be an interesting topic to cover, but not with the Hat People.This is not an action movie, there are no special effects in it. It is not a sci-fi movie. It could be considered a romance or a love story. Since it is not funny, it is not a comedy either. What it is is a time waster. If you have infinite time, by all means watch it!It is filled with holes and inconsistencies. I can understand the suspension of disbelief, however there should be some logic, rhyme or reason within itself.I guess nobody is immune to producing a trash like this, even the legendary Philip K. Dick or Matt Damon.

08 May 2012

hilarious, off-kilter

I suppose this movie wasn't meant to be funny, based on how it was marketed and on the majority of reviews here. But after the first moments where my disbelief was seriously taxed (Damon's first contact with the Adjustment Bureau), I found my incredulity rising to the point of sheer hilarity and acceptance of the flow. I mean, it's nuts. Note, those who believe in destiny will likely process this film differently from those who don't. The latter, like me, will probably take a moment to swallow the absurd notion of an adjustment bureau and what it spends its time worrying about. But once you say, okay, this is a quirky, off-kilter, bizarre love story/fantasy with the good guys at risk from perilous fate-deciders of great power, well...it becomes supremely enjoyable.Blunt is divine (the first time I saw that about her), and she and Damon have great magnetism. He does a great job of someone in this scenario, and the drama and tension between them makes it easy to excuse some of the excesses. You've got two people wanting to get together, and a bureau committed to keeping them apart no matter how, and that bureau is severely more powerful (and yet weak in the most knee-smackingly, gleefulyl nutso ways). Gosh, how could I not find it hilarious? Its hilarity is part of its absolutely unique charm. If you don't believe in destiny, just take this as a fun, out-there movie, and you'll enjoy the ride. I did find my heart rate racing a couple of times. It's fun, a zinger. And if you do believe in destiny...there's a little more grist to it, such as the question of can you change that destiny, and if you could, would you (and should you) dare.A fun movie...

Ed Waters

07 May 2012

A Christian Point of View

I just watched the movie and I was quite impressed with it. What amessage this movie carries, and how people just doesn't notice. The movie is about God or the "Chairman"as they call, and how he is adictator in peoples lives. The message of the movie is don't listen towhat is written in the book from God (Bible), but rather create yourown rules. This actually pleases God. There is an evident parallelbetween "Harry" (Anthony Mackie) and Lucifer the fallen angel, sinceLucifer before his fall was a guardian angel, and later on decided torebel against God, because he didn't agree with God and wanted to belike God, dictating the rules. The plot makes you cheer against GodsWill, so the couple can fall in love (with the help of Harry), but theyalso portray a God that took away free will, which is a lie. And here is the most interesting part of the movie. The place wherethey get to contact the "Chairman"is through the "Statue of Liberty"and once they get inside they get to the house of god which is at noless than the Rockefeller Center Building. OK, no big deal, but just doone thing, search on you tube for the words "Statue of Liberty SecretSymbols" which is a documentary by the History Channel. And make yourown conclusions.

daniel cann

07 May 2012

Manages to deliver!

Matt Damon is David Norris an ambitious and impulsive politician who bychance meets Elise (Emily Blunt), a contemporary ballet dancer only tofind that there are forces at work who will stop at nothing to keep thepair apart. Enter the Adjustment Bureau, the World's Guardian angels,who answer to 'The Chairman' and must see that everything stays to 'theplan.' Members of the Bureau include Harry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie),Richardson (John Slattery) and Thompson (Terence Stamp). These shadowyand mysterious men dress like private investigators from the 1950s withtheir hats and suits who engineer events down to something as trivialas someone spilling their coffee to miss a bus, all for the sake ofmaking the world a safer, better place.Adapted from a short story by Sci Fi writer Philip K Dick and directedby George Nolfi 'The Adjustment Bureau' is the latest in the currenttrend for mind-bending, escapist entertainment in the same mould as'Inception', 'Limitless' and 'Source Code.' The film follows thestruggle between David and the agents of the Bureau as they try tomaintain their vow of keeping him on his predetermined path which doesnot feature his new love Elise. It is essentially a battle between Fateand Choice. Will David and Elise find true love or will they bethwarted by the agents? I found myself intrigued and engrossed by thefilm, enjoying its stylistic flourishes and strong visuals, this is aNew York City with a lot of light and shadow with plenty of rain alsothrown in for good measure! The shadowy agents of the Bureau and theirinterest in David and Elise made for compulsive viewing and thechemistry between the two leads is totally convincing. The films moodysoundtrack is excellent and like all good action dramas 'The AdjustmentBureau' held my attention from beginning to end.The only negatives I would direct at the film is that it is all heldtogether by a very thin premise and there is an awful lot of chasingand running, it also seems to have been made with the success of'Inception' very heavily in mind. But these are minor quibbles, Iventure that audiences for this film will go to see it purely forentertainment and in that regard it delivers one hundred percent.

06 May 2012

Surprisingly light-spirited for a sci-fi- / suspense-type flick

Really a taste of something different here. I expected a very serious suspenseful movie with the usual chase and bullets, but this had humor mixed in in such a way that really made it fresh and very enjoyable.The premise of the bureau and what it is remains mostly mysterious, but by the end of the film, we at least have a general idea of what it is and how it works - a tidy balance. It did remind me a bit of the Matrix with all the shuffling through doors, but that was very subtle, and, anyway, I like that movie too.Thanks to all the great reviews here already, I think that's about all I have to say. Very well done IMHO.

Derek Kooi

06 May 2012

Recommend it

My rating: 7.5/10I have never been the biggest Matt Damon fan. His acting seems the samein any role he plays. The best actors are the ones that can be the mostdiverse, and I don't believe Matt Damon to be among them, but that doesnot mean the actor has limits.This film has something that newer movies seem to lack, an original andinteresting plot. Its good to see a movie with some intelligencehitting theaters. Why do you think Inception was so popular? Peoplelike to have their minds blown. It's hard to watch this film withoutstopping to ponder on what just happened. I don't think I will everlook at a person in one of those hats the same way again.The chemistry of the two main characters was quick but definite. Thesparks were flying from the start, which I still cannot decide if thatwas good or not. Although, from the aspect of the story, it does seemto fit well. It never seems hard to make a character likable, so itseems difficult to give credit for that. Nonetheless, I can't say Iwasn't rooting for them all the way.The ending was VERY predictable. With just watching a few trailers,you're sure to figure it out. But, It's not always the predictabilityof the ending that is important but how you get there. We've all seenmovies that happen to be a bore, but with that certain twist at theend, it may have bumped it from a 2 to a 4 in our rankings. There aresome interesting things in this movie but nothing very twist-like. Tomake another Inception reference, the ending left you wondering. It hadone of those epic twists. But, there is nothing like that here to bumpit up a notch. That saddens me.As I said, it's not always the predictability but the path you take toget there. All in all I actually really enjoyed it. I like movies withsome intelligence and originality and I think this movie really has it.I would recommend it to any of my friends, and probably will.7.5/10

collipal-1

05 May 2012

An excellent sci-fi film

I like the novels and short stories from author Philip K. Dick(1928-1982), but my expectations before watching the movies based onhis work are always low, because even though I liked some of them verymuch (Blade Runner, A Scanner Darkly and Total Recall), I found otherones to be atrocious pieces of crap (Impostor and Paycheck). I thinkthat the difficulty for adapting his work to the big screen does notonly lie on his febrile vision and extravagant ideas, but also on theuse of narrative structures which challenge the unavoidable formulasfrom the cinematographic screenplay. So, even though his books andshort stories might seem like a good starting point for a film, theysometimes loose the "magic", because they are forced to fit into therigid Hollywood parameters. So, I was not surprised to find that thefilm The Adjustment Bureau has very few in common with the short storyAdjustment Team, on which it was supposedly based; on the other hand,what did surprise me was to find a brilliant movie on its own merit,whose combination of science fiction and romance feels perfectlyintegrated and intelligently written.It is convenient not to reveal too much about the screenplay from TheAdjustment Bureau, because I liked discovering the clues andrevelations about the "agents" at the same time of the main charactersvery much. I also liked the way in which the movie denies itself tobring a definite answer about the "agents", preferring to designatedivergent routes in order to let the spectators to draw conclusionsaccording to their own ideology. That same balance between the evidentand the implicit extends to the other elements from the screenplay, soThe Adjustment Bureau can leave equally satisfied to those who are onlysearching to spend a time of adventure, romance and suspense; and tothose ones who want to analyze the concepts from the story deeply,speculating about all those things which are suggested, but notexplained.As I mentioned in many occasions, I am not a big fan of romanticcinema, and I think that that is because I rarely feel it real andsincere. There are many movies which limit themselves to present us anattractive couple and expect us to accept their relationship withoutquestioning their reasons and credibility. On the opposite, TheAdjustment Bureau rounds on an intense and credible romance between thecharacters interpreted by Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, who both have aperfect chemistry with each other, and also make a great work atbringing a genuine life to their characters' feelings. I will not denythat the fact that the story occasionally makes us to take a leap offaith, but I did not have any problem in accepting the mutual chemistrybetween the main characters. In fact, it was indispensable for it to beso, because the romance is not an ornament of the screenplay, but itsabsolute axis, and if it had not worked, the rest of the movie wouldhave collapsed due to a lack of cohesion. Besides, I found themetaphysical aspect from The Adjustment Bureau to be very interesting.The only complain I have against The Adjustment Bureau is that theending is a bit convenient. In spite of that, I liked this film verymuch, and I was not bothered at all by the lack of the bizarre elementsfrom the short story in order for it to forge its own style and createa fascinating world inhabited by solid and interesting characters.Besides of the performances from Damon and Blunt, I also liked the workfrom John Slattery, Anthony Mackie and the great Terence Stamp.Director George Nolfi had an excellent debut with The AdjustmentBureau, and I will definitely look forward to his next projects.