Going into “The Adjustment Bureau,” I assumed I would be watching another Matt Damon thriller (think Jason Bourne). This, however, was not what I got. Not so clearly advertised, the film is entirely a romance, with a sci-fi thriller leaning twist.
Matt Damon plays David Norris, a budding politician on his way to becoming president. Upon losing his Senate campaign, he meets Elise, played by Emily Blunt. The two banter and share a kiss, after which she dashes from security, leaving Norris to pine for her for the next month.
Coincidentally, David and Elise share another chance meeting on a bus. They hit it off yet again, and this time David scores her number.
This is when he discovers The Adjustment Bureau, a group of mysterious looking men wearing various shades of gray and fedoras. These are the people who make sure everything goes “according to plan,” the plan being created by the ambiguous “chairman,” although it’s made painfully clear throughout the film that this chairman is indeed a metaphor for God.
The Bureau tells David that he and Elise cannot be together, simply because it is not a part of “the plan.”
But, of course, after two conversations, David is hopelessly in love with Elise, and fights fate and The Bureau to keep her in his life.
The movie is definitely centered on the romance between David and Elise. Damon and Blunt have fantastic chemistry onscreen, so you find yourself rooting for them wholeheartedly.
If you planned on seeing this movie because the actual concept of The Adjustment Bureau interests you, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. Director George Nolfi spends a long time introducing and setting up The Bureau, but the film doesn’t focus on them. They provide more of a setting than a story.
All in all, it’s a nice film to watch. Damon and Blunt offer extremely charismatic performances and their witty back and forth is charming. The movie also sparks some thought, opening discussion for beliefs on free will versus fate, although it doesn’t spend as much time on these philosophical points as one might hope.
In the end, this is an endearing romance, with enough thrill in it to keep boyfriends content while their girls swoon over Damon and Blunt’s love.
But if there’s one thing we’ve learned here, it’s to stay away from men in fedora hats.