The Adjustment Bureau
Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terrence Stamp
Director: George Nolfi
Rating: 4/5
Sometimes films get miss represented by the people in marketing to try and get more bums in seats.
Just as The American was miss sold as an action film, those pesky TV ads are doing The Adjustment Bureau no justice at all. ‘Bourne meets Inception’ couldn’t be further from the truth.
Another adaptation of 1950’s sci-fi writer Philip K Dick, The Adjustment Bureau shows us hungry young politician David Norris (Matt Damon) on the cusp of winning the election for New York’s member of the US senate.
After a rather dodgy picture of him emerges though, Norris loses badly. But his evening isn’t a complete loss as while practicing his concession speech he meets Elise (Emily Blunt), an impulsive dancer.
The two instantly connect in a brief meeting, her even inspiring him to give a brilliant speech decrying politics, making him more popular than ever. Soon after they meet again on a bus, much to the dismay of the Adjustment Bureau, a group of fedora wearing men with mysterious powers who seem to control everyone’s fate.
Norris won’t be beaten though, and so pursues Elise, all the while battling these shady men in suits.
While the posters, and that description, may make it out as another just another sci-fi film, this is anything but. The Adjustment Bureau is a romance, pure and simple.
Damon and Blunt sparkle together on screen. The dialogue between the two is great. Flirty and lively without ever being annoying.
This would be nothing though if it wasn’t for Matt Damon being on fine form, yet again, and Emily Blunt getting so much more out of a rather typical movie character than you could ever think possible.
The Adjustment Bureau themselves are the problem with this film. Their powers seem to come and go at the film’s discretion, and the attempts to make them seem rounded characters just fall a little flat.
All in all, the half baked sci-fi around this group nearly holds back the film. Thankfully, despite the silly ending, the fire between Damon and Blunt burns so bright, you just let it go.
It’s all helped by the fact that The Adjustment Bureau is a beautiful film to look at throughout. Clean, crisp and with no overly clever tricks, credit has to go to first time director George Nolfi.
Also, this might have the greatest use of hats in a movie for quite some time.
Don’t believe the posters, but don’t miss out.
This is a well paced and brilliantly acted romantic drama to savour, something that doesn’t come along too often.
The Adjustment Bureau is out now.
FemaleFirst Cameron Smith