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The Adjustment Bureau is the latest in a long line of films based on the novels of Philip K. Dick. Dick’s novels have brought us the brilliant Blade Runner and Minority Report as well as the not-so-brilliant Paycheck and Next. So where does director George Nolfi’s effort fit on this all too broad spectrum?
Well, it’s difficult to say. The Adjustment Bureau doesn’t easily onto this spectrum, as it deviates quite heavily from its forebears, in that it is essentially a film about romance. Sure, the romance is encased by the sci-fi premise, but it is undoubtedly the relationship between stars Matt Damon and Emily Blunt that forms the beating heart of the film.
Damon plays young Congressman David Norris, who, due to a newspaper report on a college prank he pulled, doesn’t get elected to the Senate. Nevertheless, all is not lost, as whilst David is composing his losing speech in the men’s toilets, he has a fleeting encounter with the beautiful yet mysterious Elise who is hiding from security in a toilet cubicle. Having fallen instantly for the fleeing Elise, David is delighted when he has a second chance meeting with her on a bus a month later and excitedly takes her number. However, it transpires that David was not meant to have caught the bus that day and thus, when he unexpectedly turns up for work on time, he finds a group of shady, hat-donning figures in his office, scanning and ‘adjusting’ his frozen co-workers. They have no choice but to reveal to David that they are from the Adjustment Bureau, and are in charge of making sure everything runs to plan. David is further told he was never meant to meet Elise again, as that is not what is ‘planned’ for them- they will achieve greater things apart.
And therein lies the film’s biggest problem. The big reveal comes too soon and the briefly enigmatic members of the bureau simply become men with a penchant for wearing hats. This removes any real menace or threat from the bureaucrats, and removes much of the film’s suspense and intrigue. It also means that the film becomes somewhat repetitive, as David spends the rest of the film umming and ahhing about whether his relationship with Elise is or isn’t worth it. This deliberation is fuelled by recurring scenes in which a range of our hatted friends do their best to explain the plot. As a result, despite the film beginning apace and having a relatively short running time, it felt longer than it actually was.
It is lucky then that, as previously mentioned, the film puts its love story at the centre of everything. Blunt and the ever-affable Damon play their parts well, and the chemistry between them is evident throughout - even though the action in the film can drag, you can’t help but root for the couple. Thus, when the film heads towards its climax, it still manages to muster some excitement. This is also thanks to some impressive visuals, as the action rapidly switches between locations, as well as finally a mild sense of danger, as the bureau’s more severe-looking (if a little camp) leather-clad allies join the hunt.
If you have seen the trailer for The Adjustment Bureau in which one numpty of a critic describes the film as ‘Bourne meets Inception’, you’ll find this film a grave disappointment. It matches neither film in terms of action, and the opportunity to be as thought-provoking as Inception is sadly missed. However, if you don’t mind a more frivolous, often fun, but occasionally flawed film, you could do a lot worse than The Adjustment Bureau.
See The Adjustment Bureau at City Screen, York. Check out the cinema's website for times and further details.
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