The Adjustment Bureau: Hits the Mark

Life is unpredictable. That’s what makes life fun. One thing I can be sure of, however, (apart from the fact that my soccer team will never be FA Champions) is Matt Damon’s ability to deliver. His latest film The Adjustment Bureau was what I expected – another, engaging, solid performance from Damon, who is arguably one of the most talented actors around.

Damon plays David Norris, a smooth, driven politician in George Nolfi’s romantic thriller. Prone to the odd bout of recklessness, Norris is otherwise set on the path of success to the White House. But life is never too easy (where’s the fun in that?), and soon our hero is embroiled in scandal as pictures of a mooning session emerge from a drunken night out. (Note to self – discard all cameras before starting on the brandy, because what happens in the pub, doesn’t always stay in the pub). Facing a backlash from the public, he is soon mumbling his ‘loser’ speech into the mirror of the men’s toilets. Sharing a brief, unexpected kiss with an eavesdropping Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) before she flees the scene (hardly a romantic location, but it actually works) sets the stage for our hero to pursue the girl of his dreams.

What follows is a series of events that leaves the viewer intrigued, excited and hungry for more. The ominous presence of a higher power – The Adjustment Bureau – is quickly asserted through uniformed men on the prowl, stalking an oblivious Damon as he falls in love with Blunt’s ballerina. The Bureau is headed by the unseen Chairman (who has obvious parallels to God), with an army of mostly suave, sophisticated silver-foxes on call to do his bidding. The Bureau’s main aim is to ‘adjust’ people’s lives should they stray off the ‘right’ path and what do you know, Damon and Blunt are not supposed to be together. Thus begin numerous efforts of the agency to thwart Damon’s budding romance with the delectable Blunt.

As the fate of the star-crossed lovers hangs in the balance, Damon must choose between his career as potential president (move over Obama, Damon wants a go) and the love of his life. Will he prefer to pound the corridors of power, or will his ambition be relegated to a distant dream as he follows his heart to Blunt? Damon’s portrayal of a politician with a heart (oxymoronic I know) is compelling, as he plays the paranoid, conflicted hero with fantastic aplomb. Blunt is just as solid but has considerably less screen-time.

On paper, the two protagonists should work. They’re both driven, easy on the eye and have the same playful, impulsive streak (Blunt had crashed a wedding before hiding out in the ‘romantic’ men’s toilets where she met Damon). They’re brilliant actors and very watchable, yet I just didn’t feel the chemistry between them (I’ve seen more passion on ‘Home and Away’). I would have liked to see them interact more; maybe then their love could have been a bit more three-dimensional. Their intimate scenes felt somewhat contrived, yet their lack of va-va-voom was a minor niggle and didn’t bother me too much, due to their genuine likeability.

Another minor objection comes with the portrayal of the villainous Bureau workers, who I felt could have been more brutal to give the film a harder edge. They just weren’t sinister enough. The chapeau wearing, bespoke suited and booted army were more like a band of benign grandfathers opposing and trying to sabotage a relationship they didn’t approve of. (Any company that provides a uniform of Savile Row suits means business, yet the actual workers lacked a much-needed ruthless streak.)

As Damon and Blunt make the ultimate sacrifice regardless of the consequences, they are rewarded as the Bureau finally relents to let the lovers be together. The surprise of Harry (Anthony Mackie) being in league with the Chairman and therefore one of the ‘good guys’ was a nice twist to the tale, whilst the fast-paced action sequences coupled with punchy dialogue and slick production made this film highly entertaining. The scene where Damon rushes to stop Blunt’s wedding had me literally holding my breath, until I remembered to exhale and chew nervously on my pick-and-mix-candy.

Travelling through magical doors that niftily open to new locations was enjoyable. I had expected more mind-bending jiggery-pokery, considering the trailer screamed out the tagline ‘Inception meets Bourne Identity’ (this was obviously a PR ploy to cash in by association with some of the biggest blockbusters of the past decade). But The Adjustment Bureau was thought provoking just the same (did I really mislay my keys this morning, or was it part of some higher plan?). Mega blockbuster or not, only time will tell. But in terms of a film taking an audience on a great ride, The Adjustment Bureau absolutely hits the mark.