The Adjustment Bureau

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

There are not enough synonyms in the English language that will do justice to the words I will apply toward lauding The Adjustment Bureau. It is quite simply extraordinary. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that Matt Damon would rise to the forefront of my list of the greatest contemporary actors. Emily Blunt always struck me as an actress that has been miscast a handful of times, and as a consequence she seemed to be trying too hard to conform to misappropriated roles. Together, Damon and Blunt have warmed my heart as they will yours too. The Adjustment Bureau is a true thriller that will leave you panting.

David Norris (Damon) is a Congressman/businessman that loves to sway a crowd. The only time he feels at peace and less lonely is when there is a large gathering of people thriving on his every word. He is a politician to be sure, but one with spunk and with heart. Despite having a comfortable ten point lead in his bid for the United Stated Senate, Norris loses on account of a press release exhibiting an embarrassing photo of his practical joke. Apparently, he mooned former classmates and in this age of blogging and of the omnipresent paparazzi, his electoral campaign paid the price. While in the men’s room preparing to deliver an agonizing concession speech, he hears a voice in one of the stalls. Out exits Elise Selles (Blunt), a gorgeous woman that heard the Congressmen’s otherwise private soliloquy. In the few minutes they spend together in their vulnerable states, both fall in love. Unfortunately, fate has plans for these two lovebirds, but it is not living happily ever after.

Elise’s role is to inspire David to deliver a magnificent speech guaranteed to rally support for his future campaigns. He did just that by riveting the crowd by revealing focus group stories and by sharing information about his thoughts and feelings. Overnight he became a force to be reckoned with. This is where everything changes in his mind and in his heart. As time passes, a member of the “Adjustment Bureau” (to be explained in a moment), named Harry (Anthony Mackie) is supposed to influence David to spill coffee on himself and thereby miss the bus. Harry deliberately neglects to follow through and thus David boards the bus on time. There he finds Elise, and his mind is immediately made up, she is the woman of his dreams and he will never let her go. It does not hurt that she is a ballet dancer, is flexible, and looks damned fine in dark stockings. After feeling heartwarmed and enthusiastic, David goes to work. He arrives too early because of Harry’s inaction and he finds what no human beings are supposed to see. The Adjustment Bureau is modifying his colleagues’ thoughts and behaviors. They have a plan for David and his future. That plan does not include Emily.

Having captured David on account of their swiftness and ability to teleport through doorways, members of the bureau burn Emily’s phone number and threaten David. They inform him that his mind will be erased if he pursues her. Life continues as he is crestfallen and laments his misfortune. After riding the same bus for three years where he bumped into Emily, fate or free-will intervene and he finds her by chance. The Bureau did not plan on this random contingency. He cannot tell her who they are but he does everything in his power to stay with her. They cannot keep their eyes off one another their love will not be denied…until the Bureau intervenes in cruel and unforeseeable ways. Ultimately, David is given a strict choice. Either he forgets about Emily and destroys his heart forever (figuratively), whereby he will become President of the United States, or he can be with her and kill her dreams of becoming a world renown ballet dancer. Got a cliffhanger?

It should not surprise anyone that the genesis of The Adjustment Bureau was a short story by the science fiction legend Philip K. Dick (Total Recall, among others). For the life of me I cannot understand why this film was not released in 2010. I would have resoundingly endorsed Damon and Blunt for Oscar candidacy. Within half an hour I felt convinced that this film had taken a spot of my list of all time favorites. It is a weird scientific mixture of The Butterfly Effect, Inception, Jumper and Vanilla Sky all wrapped into one unexpected present. The Adjustment Bureau is so far the film of 2011. It very well may stay that way. Time will tell.