Directed by Bourne writer George Nolfi and based on the story by Blade Runner's Philip K Dick, The Adjustment Bureau centres on Matt Damon's Senator and Emily Blunt's Ballerina as two souls destined NOT to be with each other. The mysterious agency of the title are empowered to ensure us humans, including the destined-for-great-things Damon and Blunt, stick to what fate has already determined will be our path by interfering as inconspicuously in our lives as they can. If you've ever lost your keys that makes you miss that important appointment...chances are it's the Adjustment Bureau.
Strip away the politics, spirituality, chase thriller and science fiction aspects from the film and what you have remaining is a straight-forward romance. Now, being a bit of a bloke I'm not one to watch romances very often and when I do it's usually because it's part of a comedy movie narrative like Zack and Miri, Clerks 2 or The 40 Year Old Virgin. Twilight would be a prime example of a romantic story played straight that I've seen recently but that's hampered by the fact that both the direction and the love lorn leads are as boring as hell's toilet seat. Bureau is so much part of the romance genre it even goes so far as to include the climactic run of the hero to win his lovers heart again...but fortunately it does so in a thrilling and unusual way.
Adjustment's romance works because of the compelling story and the star wattage of it's leads. Damon has already repeatedly demonstrated his ability as an A-list leading man, but it's Blunt who surprises here; she oozes charisma and sexuality (God I love posh totty accents), and it's her key romantic scenes with Damon, showing enormous chemistry together, that forms the sturdy foundation for the plot. If the audience doesn't root for Blunt and Damon to be together, then any obstacle placed in their way by the baddies or the screen writers would be rendered pointless... but root for them we certainly do.
It's refreshing to have a thriller that isn't overwhelmed with explosions and CGI; there's an old fashioned, unfussily staged direction to the film which enhances the drama, and there's a elegant simplicity to the look and design whether it's the Bureau's 60's Trilby hats or the timeless grandeur New York cityscape. The commendably lean script is layered with an exploration of fate versus free will and order versus chaos with the more religious aspects (God and Angels) given a more corporate reimagining. Finally, Thomas Newman, of Shawshank and American Beauty fame, delivers a haunting score which goes a long way to making the film exciting, mature in tone and emotionally absorbing.
A deceptively simple but great little movie.
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