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They
are the men of "The Adjustment Bureau" who will do everything in their
considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. For
David to stay "on track", to stick to "the plan" which "The Chairman
(aka : The Man In The Sky)" has written
for him.
But, is "The Plan" prepared for blind luck and chance to intervene?
When it comes to Hollywood and Phillip K Dick's short stories, history
tells us that the two do not always mix. Not because the stories are
bad, but more to do with the fact that Hollywood are.
Luckily, The Adjustment
Bureau keeps this one surprisingly simple. It avoids the
traps of convolution (and opts for a bit more over-explanation) which
plauge other PKD film adaptations,
while still keeping the tension running high, and is much stronger for
it.
Therefore, it essentially plays as the Inception
that doesn't require you to think.
That said, it becomes quite obvious The Adjustment Bureau is
a short story that's been stretched to feature length.
It rarely, if
ever, strays from the bare basics of the story (Fate, Paths, Destiny,
Love) and by the closing few scenes, you could be forgiven you'd
accidentally flicked over to an old episode of the Nickelodeon kids
show Are You Afraid Of
The Dark.
The result is that of a fun, but somewhat hollow (especially for a Matt
Damon film) final product. But that is a small complaint for what is,
essentially,
a Sci-Fi Rom Com.
Damon and Blunt share some wonderful chemistry, with Emily Blunt really
shining during the pairs more flirtatious scenes. Meanwhile Terence
Stamp and Mad Men's
John Slattery deliver solid, if not occasionally borderline pantomime,
performances as uptight members of The Bureau (or are they angels?).
Don't believe the trailers - The Adjustment Bureau
is more Sleepless In
Seattle than it is Proof
Of Life - and thus a pleasantly surprising mish mash on
two well worn genres.
It also makes room for some fun arguments on the car ride home
regarding religion, the role of destiny and fate in life (is it real,
or simply another excuse for people to use when things go wrong in the
world) and what responsibility lies with those who are given rare
opportunities and throw them away.
DVD Special Features
Plenty of fun
stuff on offer here. There is the stock standard Deleted &
Extended Scenes and feature commentary. But get past that, and the fun
really begins!
There is a few featurettes which are great including "Leaping Through
New York" which is an inside look at how the production team filmed
David Norris' (Matt Damon) race to the courthouse, featuring interviews
with Damon, director George Nolfi, special effects coordinator Mark
Russell and producers Michael Hackett and Chris Moore.
There is also the ace "Destined To Be" which looks at how The
Adjustment Bureau provided Matt Damon with his first opportunity to
play a true romantic lead in a feature film. Co-star Emily Blunt,
director George Nolfi and Damon himself reflect on this new role for
the star and the relationship between David Norris and Blunt's
character, Elise Sellas.
There are a few more and are well worth a look.
Conclusion:
Movie 80% Extras: 70%
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