Today’s quick review: The Adjustment Bureau. After his failed Senatorial campaign, David Norris (Matt Damon) discovers the existence of the Adjustment Bureau, an organization that controls fate by making small adjustments to the course of history. Richardson (John Slattery), an agent of the Bureau, warns David that his romance with Elise (Emily Blunt), a captivating stranger, has been forbidden, prompting David to pursue an impossible dream for the sake of love.
The Adjustment Bureau is a science fiction thriller based on the story by Philip K. Dick. The Adjustment Bureau takes an intriguing premise and plays it out through a simple, personal story of forbidden love. David’s attempts to fight his fate produce a tense, unusual take on the thriller genre: every decision David makes can be turned against him, while doing nothing simply plays into the Bureau’s hands.
The Adjustment Bureau does a decent job with its fundamentals. David Norris has just enough depth to be an interesting protagonist, while Elise provides chemistry and mystery in equal parts. Their romance balances right on the edge of viability: letting the Bureau have its way is always the smart option but never the satisfying one. David could quit at any time, but his heart pushes him on.
The plot unfolds at a healthy clip. Early setup gives way to David’s increasingly ambitious attempts to overcome the Bureau. The events of the film are unpredictable enough to be interesting while still fitting together well. The action sequences are almost entirely chases, an appropriate decision given the film’s story. The chases have a few clever twists that make them interesting, and they are enough to give the film an action feel without any combat.
The Adjustment Bureau’s basic implementation of its premise is a mixed blessing. The only major elements onstage are David, Elise, and the Bureau itself, resulting a clean and understandable take on an inherently mind-bending concept. At the same time, letting the concept run wild would have resulted in a tantalizingly complex sci-fi puzzle. The Adjustment Bureau takes the safer option, sacrificing depth for accessibility.
The Adjustment Bureau lives up to some, but not all, of its considerable potential. Watch it if you are in the mood for a competent thriller with a unique premise. Skip it if you are looking for a more conventional action thriller.
7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for workmanlike execution of an interesting premise.