Rated
PG-13 (Brief Strong Language, Some Sexuality and a Violent Image)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 46 Minutes
Cast:
Matt
Damon-David Norris
Emily
Blunt-Elise Sellas
Anthony
Mackie-Harry Mitchell
John
Slattery-Richardson
Terence
Stamp-Thompson
Anthony
Ruivivar-McCrady
Michael
Kelly-Charlie Traynor
Directed
by George Nolfi
 |
| "You must memorize this script before your future is adjusted." |
Philip
K. Dick is the very definition of a starving artist. With 121 short stories and
44 published novels to his name, the prolific science fiction writer
unfortunately spent much of his career living in near-poverty. Although many of
his works have been adapted into films by Hollywood, the results have been
mixed due to unnecessary alterations to make it more palatable to mainstream
audiences. 1982’s “Blade Runner,” adapted from the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is
widely regarded as one of the best films ever made, a neo-noir science fiction
classic that initially received mixed reviews upon its release. However, for
every “Minority Report” or “A Scanner Darkly,” we get something like “Paycheck”
or “Next.” George Nolfi makes his directorial debut with “The Adjustment
Bureau,” loosely based on Dick’s 1954 short story Adjustment Team published in Orbit
Science Fiction magazine. While Nolfi isn’t able to mesh the science
fiction and romantic elements as smoothly as he had hoped, the film’s themes of
free will and predestination, combined with the strong chemistry exhibited by
Matt Damon and Emily Blunt make “The Adjustment Bureau” a compelling and
engaging experience.
New York Congressman David Norris (Matt Damon) is running
for the United States Senate in 2006 but his hopes of easily winning the
election are shattered when a college prank video is dug up and published by
the New York Post. While rehearsing
his concession speech in the men’s bathroom, he encounters a young woman named Elise Sellas (Emily
Blunt), who is hiding from hotel security for crashing a wedding. The two hit it
off immediately and end up passionately kissing but is interrupted when his
campaign advisor, Charlie Traynor (Michael Kelly), walks in on them. David,
inspired by her words, eschews his prepared script and instead delivers a
candid speech that is extremely well-received, making him an early favorite for
the 2010 Senate race. One month later and privately employed by a venture
capital group, David bumps into Elise on the bus ride to work and is surprised
that it is the same woman he met in the men’s bathroom. They quickly catch up
and Elise writes down her phone number for him before getting off on her stop.
David arrives at work to discover all his co-workers immobilized and being
examined by black-uniformed men, who quickly chase after him. He is eventually
incapacitated and brought to an unknown warehouse to meet an impeccably-dressed
man named Richardson (John Slattery). Explaining that he is from the
‘Adjustment Bureau’ and that their job is to make sure events go according ‘to
plan’ as written by ‘the Chairman,’ Richardson delivers an ultimatum to David:
he is to never try to contact Elise again or mention the existence of the
Bureau to anyone under threat of being ‘reset’ or effectively lobotomized. Before
being let go, Richardson burns Elise’s phone number to ensure David’s
cooperation. Three years flash by and David is unable to forget Elise, taking
the same bus everyday in the hopes of bumping into her. As luck would have it,
he spots her walking down the street and the two reconnect. However, the Adjustment
Bureau is determined to stop him but the more obstacles they place, the more
David fights back to be with Elise. Left with no choice, they send a ruthless
‘caseworker’ named Thompson (Terence Stamp) to resolve the situation.
Although
“The Adjustment Bureau” was marketed on its sci-fi premise leading up to its
release, it is essentially a romance film with
science fiction elements. Nolfi is primarily a writer and his credits
include 2007’s “The Bourne Ultimatum” but as a novice director, he isn’t able
to smoothly mesh these disparate components as well as he had hoped for yet the
intimate focus afforded to its two main characters actually help ground the
film even when it threatens to go off the rails. The Judeo-Christian roots of
the film’s themes aren’t exactly subtle nor does it try to be with the Adjustment
Bureau’s unseen Chairman analogous to an omnipotent and omniscient God. David even asks a sympathetic ‘caseworker’
named Harry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie) if they’re actually ‘angels,’ to which he
replies, ‘We've been called that.’ A number of interesting questions crop up
over the course of the film: are our lives already written and we’re just
acting out our predetermined roles with the illusion of free will or are we in
control of our destiny and forge our own path? Without proper guidance, is
humanity doomed to a never-ending cycle of violence? Can love ultimately
conquer all obstacles? The answer to that last question is perhaps hammered
home with a little too much zeal
while the concepts of predestination and free will aren’t taken as far as they potentially
allow and are handled in broad strokes but the fact that Nolfi aspired for his
film to be more than what Hollywood typically offers is admirable, even if he’s
not always successful. The ending is also rather anticlimactic and low-key given
its build-up but it leaves the audience emotionally satisfied, despite the fact
that Philip K. Dick himself held a very pessimistic worldview. To spruce up the
proceedings, there are a number of slickly-directed chase scenes that adds a
nice sense of urgency as David turns the tables by using the Adjustment
Bureau’s own abilities against them but for the most part, this is a
character-driven affair.
While the foundations of its sci-fi premise may be
shaky, the romance proves to be the film’s saving grace thanks to the strong
chemistry between Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. Both of their roles aren’t
inherently challenging yet we become emotionally invested in their situation
because the likable rapport they share allows us to believe, just for two hours, that true love will win. In fact, I
found myself smiling whenever Damon and Blunt are on-screen together as they seem
to genuinely enjoy each other’s company. The rest of the cast such as John Slattery
and Anthony Mackie look appropriately mysterious with their impeccable suits and
bowler hats that reminded me of the Men in Black, which remain popular in UFO
conspiracy theories. Terrance Stamp brings his usual gravitas to his roles,
supporting or otherwise, and is always a welcome sight in any film with his
distinctive, aristocratic voice.
“The Adjustment Bureau” was released on
Blu-Ray back in June and the results are quite impressive. New York City always
looks stunning on film and while John Toll’s cinematography leans toward a
filtered blue/gray tinge that mimics the cold, impersonal world of the Bureau,
the picture still manages to pop with color. Shadows are vivid and have depth
but while much of the film takes place in dimly lit environments, it never
drenches everything in darkness as textures maintain strong detail and skin
tones exhibit a healthy tone. Being a dialogue-driven film, audio is more
subdued but it still immerses thanks to its use of ambience in exterior scenes
and there’s even some thumping bass when David and Elise find themselves at a
nightclub. While it won’t light the world on fire, this is a technically
proficient Blu-Ray release. Special features are on the average side with an
audio commentary from Nolfi plus a number of five-to-eight minute featurettes
with the cast discussing their characters and shooting on-location in New York
City. There’s also an interactive map where you select locations as if you’re
traveling like a member of the Adjustment Bureau and are shown a brief
behind-the-scenes clip associated with that location.
Released on March 4,
2011, “The Adjustment Bureau” received generally positive reviews with 72% on Rotten
Tomatoes. Critics noted that ‘Nolfi struggles to maintain a consistent tone,
but [the film] rises on the strong, believable chemistry of its stars.’ Opening
against director Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp’s animated western “Rango,” the
film debuted at #2 at the box office with a solid $21 million and went on to
gross $127 million worldwide against a $50 million production budget. Although
George Nolfi makes a few noticeable missteps as a rookie director with a weak
ending and struggles to reconcile the film’s science fiction and romantic
elements, “The Adjustment Bureau” ranks as one of the better Philip K. Dick
film adaptations, managing to engage with its thought-provoking themes, stylish
cinematography, and the winning chemistry of Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.
Final
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
“Most
people live life on the path we set for them…too afraid to explore any other.
But once in a while, people like you come along who knock down all the obstacles
we put in your way. People who realize free will is a gift you'll never know
how to use until you fight for it. I think that's the Chairman's real plan, that
maybe one day we won't write the plan. You will.”
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