For all its faults -- and there are a few, however minor -- 'The Adjustment Bureau' should serve as a great example for young filmmakers everywhere on how to hook an audience and keep them invested. It seems, as of late, that many movies have forgotten the basics in storytelling, often resorting to stock characters and established plot formulas. Look at 'The Tourist,' 'Battle: Los Angeles' and the very recent 'The Green Lantern.' Or better yet, don't. Thankfully, 'Bureau' is nowhere near the low quality of those movies. This film offers a compelling story inspired by a short sci-fi tale from Phillip K. Dick — I can't really say "based" since its only connection is the original idea. Also keeping the interest of viewers are the two main protagonists, played terrifically by Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.
The real crux of this romantic thriller is in the audience believing that these two unlikely people are truly inseparable, that nothing on this planet and beyond could ever keep them apart. Damon and Blunt deliver on that in spades. The chemistry between them is so profound and genuine that they win us over immediately in their chance encounter in the men's restroom. And later, when they bump into one another on the bus, they solidify our belief that they were meant for each other. When outside forces, dressed like '40s-noir detectives, try to intervene, we can't help but cheer for the two lovers to succeed and overcome the opposing forces. Their flirty, playful conversations mark the beginning of true love, and thanks to the two wonderful actors, the audience is hooked.
The script comes from George Nolfi, of 'The Bourne Ultimatum' and 'Ocean's Twelve' fame, who also makes his directorial debut with 'Bureau.' The script is brilliantly well structured. Before really digging into the plot's meatier aspects, Nolfi carefully sets us up to spend time with Damon's ambitious politician, David Norris, and Blunt's aspiring dancer, Elise. By the time those Hitchcockian shadowy figures show up, led by the likes of fedora-wearing John Slattery and Terence Stamp, we're already convinced their interference is unjust and even more importantly, immoral. They call themselves "caseworkers" — we like to call them angels, of course — and they ensure that humans follow a fixed plan written by a mysterious "chairman" — naturally, we also have another name for that omnipotent person as well.
This is where the plot hits a bump in the road. You can clearly read the religious, philosophical implications of predestination and free will within the story. They're there on purpose. But whereas Phillip K. Dick actually asks the question of how much control we have over our lives, George Nolfi appears to only want the idea as a simple plot device for a romantic thriller that feels reminiscent of classic Hitchcock. The film isn't exactly seeking to provoke a deeper, metaphysical discussion, but since it brings up the thought, it also becomes somewhat of a hindrance. For all its suspenseful build up of mystery and intrigue, the ending is ultimately anticlimactic and rather disappointing. Frankly, it's a cop out, as if Nolfi was unsure of where to take the story next.
In spite of all this, however, 'The Adjustment Bureau' remains stylishly entertaining and thrillingly captivating. Using metaphysical questions as a plot device, the first-time director delivers a suspenseful ride that's both fun and mildly thought-provoking. But the real triumph of the film is the winning chemistry of Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. Their performances and convincing bond is what effectively hooks audiences into seeing the story through to the end. The conclusion may not seem to deliver on what the script's plan promises, but the mutual attraction and rapport between the two leads does. And it makes for a good movie.
