★★★ Matt Damon’s latest flick, The Adjustment Bureau, brings up an interesting topic, free will. Mix that with a love story and a little action and it’s easy to be engaged with the film. The Adjustment Bureau is a good movie. But that’s it. It isn’t great or mind-blowing. It does make you think a little, but not enough to completely take over your thoughts.
The film is about David (Matt Damon), a politician running for New York senator. When he randomly meets a dancer, Elise (Emily Blunt), he’s instantly attracted to her. The next day, he bumps into her on the bus, and they exchange numbers. Only that was never supposed to happen. The Adjustment Bureau was supposed to stop him from meeting her again. After a confrontation with the Bureau, David will do whatever he can to reunite with Elise, even if it means he must sacrifice his career dreams.
The movie surrounds this really cool premise of free will. The Adjustment Bureau is run by the Chairman, another name for God. But God is never mentioned, and don’t worry this movie isn’t religious. The agents (those men with the hats) are supposed to make sure that people, especially certain people, must follow a plan. Sometimes, chance will cause a person to fall out of the plan; the bureau is to make sure he or she gets back on track. It makes us think if we really do have free will, or is there some kind of power we are unaware of that controls what kind of decisions we make? I guess it’s up to you on what you believe, but this movie follows the theory that God, or whatever higher power you believe in, interferes with humanity’s free will when He deems necessary.
With such a strong concept, I was expecting a more intense film. Matt Damon takes the lead well, but I think he could have added a little more to his portrayal. Blunt was great; she was charming and funny. The chemistry between the two wasn’t strong enough, in my opinion. But I mostly think it was the writing, not the acting. I felt like the script should’ve given David and Elise a little more time together. The movie seemed too slow and too fast at the same time. It was hard to tell the beginning, middle, and end.
Despite some things, I did enjoy The Adjustment Bureau. It brings an interesting topic to the table, and I’m all about discussing a film after I see it. Besides that, the story is interesting, and if you‘re a fan of Matt Damon and/or Emily Blunt, you’ll definitely enjoy this movie.
The Adjustment Bureau comes out in theaters tomorrow, March 4th.
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