REVIEW: The Adjustment Bureau

LOVE ON THE RUN

The opening encounter between dashing New York politician David Norris (Matt Damon) and feisty ballet dancer Elise (Emily Blunt) in a men's room at the Waldorf Astoria hotel must rank amongst the most arresting first meetings on screen in recent cinema. It's electrifying without being flashy -- pure old-fashioned chemistry between two intelligent and beautiful individuals who were born to be together. In fact, there is a great nostalgic quality to writer-director George Nolfi's debut film The Adjustment Bureau (adapted from a Philip K. Dick story) which tackles the ultimate existential question of whether our destinies are pre-written by a God (referred to as 'the Chairman' in the film) or whether we are the architects of our own fate.

There are men roaming the streets of New York in fedora hats 'adjusting' the minds and lives of various carefully chosen individuals. Norris, who's just lost the senatorial election is smitten by Elise at first sight. But the Chairman and his army have other plans and keep tweaking Norris' life to keep him and Elise apart at any cost -- because he's apparently made for higher things and she's likely to hamper his career prospects (leading all the way to the White House). Norris, however, is equally stubborn and challenges his fate only to be told by a stern-faced 'angel' "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will."  

Such is the hero's determination to be with the woman of his dreams at all cost, his unexpected moves start hampering the bureau's best laid plans and things start getting out of their control. Norris keeps walking through forbidden doors while Elise, equally desperate to be with him, is constantly at loose ends because of all the confusion and chaos being orchestrated in her life. 

Forget about the religious mumbo-jumbo and God-speak -- "the Chairman has a plan; we only see a part of it" -- it's as a romance that The Adjustment Bureau works best. There's a fantastic rhythm to the Damon-Blunt interaction which is shot unhurriedly, with bare minimum camera movements and hence greater emphasis on emotions and magical intimacy. In fact, despite its science-fiction and thriller elements, Nolfi's approach to filmmaking is totally lacking in gimmicks. No hand-held camerawork, no fast chases, no jump cuts. Which, in these technology-driven times is such a refreshing break.

The Adjustment Bureau is a classical romantic tale wrapped in a sci-fi cover. But we really don't care at all about the philosophical/ethical issues. All we want is for Damon and Blunt to get together in the end. Because what they have is what most of us dream, hope and pray for all our lives, and whether its chance, fate or the hand of God that eventually brings them together is absolutely irrelevant.