The Adjustment Bureau

I had been looking forward to The Adjustment Bureau for a multitude of reasons; one of the strongest of them being the fact that the movie is based... read more

I had been looking forward to The Adjustment Bureau for a multitude of reasons; one of the strongest of them being the fact that the movie is based on a short story by one of my favorite authors, Phillip K. Dick. Also add to the equation the beautiful and talented Emily Blunt and the ever reliable Matt Damon. So imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to discover that the movie held far more than what I had seen in the trailers.

The Adjustment Bureau is two movies effortlessly rolled into one; an enchanting old-school romantic tale and a Sci-Fi thriller which pits the concepts of free choice versus preordained destiny. An up and coming congressman David Morris (Matt Damon) happens to meet the pretty Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) in one of the most unusual of circumstances. The brief meeting lifts his spirits and inspires him to deliver a speech that helps his career move ahead by leaps and bounds. Unfortunately Elise & he dont exchange any contact information and much like Cinderella she disappears into the night. Its not until three years later that by pure chance they happen to bump into each other again and the sparks begin to fly. It is around this time that David is contacted (actually more like kidnapped & threatened by) by a mysterious organization comprising entirely of men in near identical uniforms of suits, overcoats and old-fashioned fedoras. He is told to stay away from Elise since there is a greater plan at work and a path has been laid out for him which he has to stick to. Hes also told to inform noone of the existence of this secret organization else they would wipe out his memory completely. But things dont go according to plan; David & Elise fall in love while the agency brings in a more experienced & hard-nosed operative nicknamed The Hammer (Terrence Stamp) to sort things out. So will David & Elise get a chance to be together?

The movies stronger point is the utterly believable love story between the two leads. The chemistry shared between Blunt & Damon is gentle and heart warming in an old fashioned way that would have made Frank Capra proud. This tender love story had me completely sold on the movies concept and if only they had kept the Sci-Fi elements less goofy, I would have absolutely loved the movie.

The final act relies far too much on viscerally exciting the audience with action sequences rather than resolving the plot more intellectually; something the movie advocates vocally throughout. Though the ending isnt bad per se it is a let down from what came before it.

Matt Damon & Emily Blunt as the star-crossed lovers destined for doom are the movies trump cards; Blunt in particular is fantastic. Mad Mens John Slattery shows up as an agent for the Adjustment Bureau and wouldnt feel one bit out of place with the fedoras and suits. Terrence Stamp & Mackie do their jobs well enough but nothing much to write home about.

The Adjustment Bureau is a lively love story that manages to enchant you, which also makes the Sci-Fi elements of the movie pale in comparison.
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A futuristic Romantic thriller. And when you read this, please do not think of "Love Story 2050". It will break my heart. This one is much, much be... read more

A futuristic Romantic thriller. And when you read this, please do not think of "Love Story 2050". It will break my heart. This one is much, much better.

That Hollywood has no dearth of bizarre, albeit interesting screenplays is no secret. Along comes another, which is fun while it lasts without promising anything magnanimous.

David Norris(Matt Damon) is a young politician who is fighting a losing battle for the Senator's post while he encounters Elise(Emily Blunt), a ballerina who is as quick with her words as she is with her toes. While they plan to hook up, Norris finds out another dark secret: there exists a shady organization who seems to be in control of his life. The rest of the story depicts his efforts to preserve his love and life from these people.

The film is fast paced and the script is taut: there are a lot of elements which seem to have been inspired by previous films, particularly the Matrix. However, the treatment is sufficiently different to ward off any plagiarism claims. The initial interactions between Norris and Elise are particularly delightful: both of them have quite intelligent characters, with Elise scoring in terms of naughtiness. Apart from that, Matt Damon looks older and a shadow of his glorious days. That he has turned 40 is clearly evident. Emily Blunt flaunts her sexy British accent which is enough to floor most men.

Where the film disappoints is its extremely laidback and predictable climax. The altercations between the bad guys and Damon have a touch of humor and thus I did not feel the heat. The thrill comes from the chases, and guessing which door will open up where (the doors are teleportation devices).

3 stars - It's a nice one-time watch, but missing it wont hurt either.

PS - I went on an exploration drive after watching the flick and found out a feature on the official website which allows you to create personalized videos from your own photos. Neat. view less

David Norris (Matt Damon) is about to become the youngest US Senator. Running from the State of New York, he is reaching the end of a successful ca... read more

David Norris (Matt Damon) is about to become the youngest US Senator. Running from the State of New York, he is reaching the end of a successful campaign, when an act of fate, makes him lose the election. Whilst rehearsing his concession speech in the mens room, he meets Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt), a girl who has gate crashed a wedding. Inspired by his interesting chat and short passionate kiss with Elise, David delivers an impromptu speech, which makes him a favourite for the next election.

On his way to work, he bumps into Elise again, on the bus. After flirting for sometime, she gives him her number and leaves. When David reaches office, he notices that his entire office has been taken over by a group of people trying to calibrate him. After a brief chase through various floors and across doors, David is confronted by Richardson (John Slattery, Mad Men, Iron Man 2), who explains to him the existence of The Adjustment Bureau. A group / company of people who have been assigned the duty of ensuring that humans follow things as per the plan written down by The Chairman (hinting at a Superior Force, GOD). Richardson warns David that if he ever discloses their identity to anyone, they would reset him, in short, lobotomize him. He also warns him not to maintain any contact with Elise, since it was not as per the plan.

After 3 years, David, after taking the same bus everyday, bumps into Elise again. Inspite of the Bureau trying to stop them from meeting, David improvises and succeeds. The process of stopping the couple from meeting, causes enough ripple effects which leads to the case being taken away from Richardson and reassigned to a senior member, Thompson, also known as The Hammer (Terence Stamp, Valkyrie, Wanted, Superman). Thompson, explains in detail to David, that he is destined to be the President of the United States and Elise a world renowned dancer and choreographer. But if he chooses to be with Elise, neither would reach their goal. He proves it by spraining Elises ankle during her dance recital. David leaves only to come back as his heart yearns for Elise to fight against the might of The Adjustment Bureau.

Based on the book written by Phillip Dick, The Adjustment Team, in 1954, this film is part sci-fi, part romantic thriller. Directed by debutante George Nolfi (writer Oceans Twelve, The Bourne Ultimatum) the film is deviates a lot from the book, but sticks to the basic premise of the concept of Free Will. Though not as gripping as Dicks earlier stories, Blade Runner, Total Recall, the plot still has its moments.

Damon as the charismatic young senator-to-be, uses his natural flair to add flavor to his character. His frustration at losing the election, his impulsive chases, his desperation for trying to understand why he cannot be with Elise, liven up the film and take it a couple of notches higher than what Nolfi could have managed. He does a lot of things in the film, especially run, run and run a little more.


Emily Blunt is hot, sexy and intelligent. As the ballet dancer and Davids inspiration she is projected as a complete opposite of all that David projects. The chemistry that she shares with Damon is evident from scene 1, which makes Damon's quest for her, so much more believable.

Anthony Mackie as Davids case worker, Slattery and Stamp play excellent supporting roles. The entire sequence with David trying to find Elise with hurdles being created by Slattery is fantastic. So is the climax as David learns how to use the hats and doors, after being trained by Mackie.

The cinematography by John Toll (Braveheart, Tropic Thunder) is brilliant. So is the background score by Thomas Newman. The only part the pace of the film drops is during the break up of the couple, which could have been handled better.

All in all, it is a good flick to be seen in the cinemas if you have time to kill and do not want to burden yourself. The plot, though a little out of the box, is yet different from the regular alien flicks that come across nowadays.


Does it have The Y Factor:Yes

Rating:6/10
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Internal Bias: I love Matt DamonThis is the sort of bizarre movie which you can sit back and enjoy only if you leave all reason behind while seeing... read more

Internal Bias: I love Matt Damon

This is the sort of bizarre movie which you can sit back and enjoy only if you leave all reason behind while seeing it. A sort of romantic science fiction story that sets aside reason but yet follows its own convoluted but impeccable logic can help you spend an amusing evening.

In this story an entity called The Adjustment Bureau runs peoples lives for them. It is another name for God Inc. That our lives are predestined and our fate already decided for us is a concept we Indians have no difficulty in believing and that makes this movie easier to follow. The Adjustment Bureau lives by the book in which a series of complicated underground rail transport like diagrams show each guardian angel how his wards life is supposed to be led. If there are deviations from the plan the Adjustment Bureau tweaks your life a bit, gives you small doses of amnesia or does a complete make over job so that you are back on track. Matt Damon plays a young successful politician who falls in love with a young successful dancer (Emily Blunt). This is not in the plan and the godlings/angels spend the rest of the movie trying to keep them apart till the movie decides what to do with them.

The love story is kind of cute. (Anything with Matt Damon acting romantic is cute for me!) The chemistry between the two is friendly and yet romantic and the dialogues are intermittently funny.

Like I said at the start, be prepared to accept the basic premise and you will have quite a decent time at this movie.
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