Saw it Tuesday night.

The Adjustment Bureau is the first truly great film of 2011. This is good ol' mystery/thriller at its finest. The plot is very unique but it stays out of the way of turning ridiculous. It is also very simple to follow. Though really the whole mystery of "the plan" gets overshadowed a good bit of the time by the perfect work of Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. They both work perfectly well together and add their own original twist individually. The ending is a bit quick, but makes sense once re-evaluated and actually makes the film that much stronger. Anthony Mackie pulls in a strong supporting role as well. The film overall definitely keeps one's mind going the entire time and doesn't try to slow itself down. Now 2011, make more quality like this and you should be fine. ****

I liked it. Like jmovies said, the ending is a little abrupt, except unlike what he thought I thought it hampered the overall film a little bit. The ending was a little too "Disney-esque" for me.

And why doesn't "The Chairman" have a partial reset button? It can map and plan and create anything it wants, but there is no in between option? It's either a full lobotomy or letting a select few run around with knowledge that no one is supposed to know? Why can't they erase a partial portion of someone's memory? That'd save them a lot of time running after people. Then again, there wouldn't be a film so I guess I should just stop thinking about it.

*** (B)

I also really enjoyed it, but jmart points out that the concept doesn't really stand up to much scientific scrutiny. That's pretty standard for supernatural/sci-fi movies, and if one can take a leap of faith with the idea, The Adjustment Bureau is fun, breezy entertainment. Matt Damon has grown a lot as an actor. I think some people take for granted how hard it is to be to be a multi-dimensional lead - see his buddy Ben Affleck, who excels in supporting roles. Here, Damon gets to have more emotions than Jason Bourne without needing to chew the scenary, as in The Informant! Emily Blunt's character isn't as well developed, but she's plenty good at flirting mischeivously, and the two have palpable chemistry. The supporting cast is good, but the stand out may be the city of New York - it sure as hell isn't Vancouver standing in!

The Adjustment Bureau may be impressive for what it doesn't have as much as what it does. This is the rare sci-fi film almost totally bereft of violence (2009 was hailed as a great year for sci-fi, but how many of them didn't devolve into bloodbaths?) and flashy special effects. Also, the film wisely keeps the mythology and mumbo jumbo to a minimum in favor of focusing on the characters and the romance.

B+

Agree with all that. Fun, interesting movie with Damon and Blunt working wonderfully together. Really, they had chemistry other filmmakers dream of. Didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Anthony Mackie and Terrence Stamp did solid work as well.

One thing, though: why did all the Hat-men (or whatever they were called) have to be men? Every woman in the film was either Emily Blunt (the love interest) or secretaries/assistants. Not that this is unique to this movie, just something I couldn't help but notice

Overall, though, a very well-made and enjoyable movie.

Coulda been great...

The Adjustment Bureau has a lot going for it - - the realistic low key tone, the great leads and the great character actors, the whole Dick concept - - but danged if the thing never really took off.

It's surely a pleasant diversion for one hour and forty-five minutes - - but then you'll never know what they've gone and adjusted while you were watching, will you?


3 out of 5.

The first really great movie of 2011. I absolutely loved it, and Damon and Blunt are going to be hard to beat for favorite movie couple of the year. Their chemistry was what made this work so well and I loved both of their characters.

A-

6/10 -> C

Lately most of the movies I see seem to be torn apart between two stories that are somewhat forcefully put together. Here we have one of those terribly "love-at-first-sight-&-meant-to-be-together-forever-and-ever" rom-com cliches and on the other hand there's a sci-fi/fantasy plot that's:

a) either working as a plot device to serve the usual rom-com idiocy that they need to be broken up just so they could be brought together in the end

b) what the story is supposed to be about (free will, choices, consequences) but it got drowned in the love aspect of the story that feels like it has been slightly tuned up to sell the movie better.

Whatever the case I'd prefer if they focused the story on the polar choices our hero was given somewhere in the middle of the movie. Either chose her and be happy inside but watch as all of your wishes and dreams crumble or leave her and be empty inside but have everything you've ever dreamed of. Instead we get served with an almost cringe worthy happy end. Lame.

But Damon is very charming as a lead and the bureau agents were a riot. I wasn't so happy with Blunt. She possibly gave her worst performance yet. Very off-putting performance and she's usually very lovely in her roles.

Also I loved how everything was so low key. No big action sequences and still thrilling and engaging at times.

Very romantic, and as others pointed out, I appreciated the effort to make this all Twilight Zone-esque and mysterious with almost no violence. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are both terrific here, and their chemistry is crucial to the film's success. A top-notch supporting cast (Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Terence Stamp) is also quite well used. Writer/director George Nolfi has made an impressive debut here, a film that examines the natures of fate and destiny without hammering us over the head. B+

I enjoyed it.

Matt Damon is the hunkier, younger George Clooney. He can sell just about any movie, any line, any character these days. Yeah, the plot here is total bonkers, but it doesn't matter.

Only real critique is that it's never clear to us why Blunt is so enchanted with Damon (other than that he's a politician). She's more of the 'character' of the two in their scenes before he gets "adjusted"

The reason was spelled out in a scene (not that it's particularly clever or convincing one). According to numerous plans everything worked for the two of them to finally be together. But when one of the revised editions of plan decided that the two of them should never be together it's where it all went wrong, because the ties that have been set in motion by the previous plan were too strong and they both felt like they belong solely to each other, despite not meeting each other. LOL, yeah.

It's a good B+ sci-fi. Enough to make me watch it again on tv when it goes there.

I agree the best part about it is it doesn't turn into a gun shootout and car chase action movie. Very refreshing to just keep it to running and talking.

David Norris (Matt Damon) is an ambitious politician with a colorful past. As The Adjustment Bureau, a romantic drama with science fiction elements, begins, his senatorial bid has failed, and he is preparing to deliver his concession speech when he meets Elise (Emily Blunt), a beautiful and energetic dancer. It is love at first sight. This is the romance. Then comes the science fiction: David and Elise's courtship is not meant to be, or so say the agents of the titular authority, played by, among others, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, and Terence Stamp. They are angel-type beings with film noir fashion sense, and they monitor the world, ensuring people follow a plan designed by a mysterious being they refer to as the Chairman, but whom we humans call many different names (gag). Free will, it is revealed to David, is, at least in part, an illusion. Thus begins an extended chase: David and Elise have to run towards love, with the fedora-wearing adjusters always in hot pursuit.

In certain respects, I admire this film, screenwriter George Nolfi's (Ocean's Twelve) directorial debut, based on the short story “Adjustment Team” by Philip K. Dick. It has a crisp visual style, and an atmospheric and elegant Thomas Newman (American Beauty) score. Its aim, to blend romance and sci-fi without sacrificing sophistication, is noble, and its low-key, Twilight Zone-esque approach to the supernatural is a breath of fresh air. And Damon and Blunt, both consistent and professional, have potent chemistry.

Yet I found the overall film rather dull. It almost never raised my pulse or tugged my heartstrings. I felt no awe, fear, or wonder during the sci-fi sequences. Even the big third-act action sequence, with Damon and Blunt racing through portals throughout New York City, plays as minor, more a stylish afterthought than an exciting, Hitchcockian chase scene. And the ending, which runs into a corner (or a rooftop in this case) and then relies on a deus ex machina to reach a conclusion, is mediocre. Too sentimental, too forced, too abrupt.

As for the romance, it is underdeveloped and tepid, despite the best efforts of the well-matched stars. I was more interested in the David Norris character's political career (watch for several cameos, including Jon Stewart and Mayor Michael Bloomberg) than his devotion to Elise. But, alas, The Adjustment Bureau is a sci-fi love story, not a political slice-of-life. And as a sci-fi love story, it's an honorable miss.

C+

Oh wow, you were really looking forward to it too. A C+ is not good coming from you . I am still excited to see it this weekend though.

Honorable miss gets a D grading Gunslinger? Is that being too harsh?

I'm not sure what you mean?

I was merely adjusting it for the gunslinger scale. As C is the lowest grade you ever give out that becomes your F, everything adjusts a little. Therefore giving this a C+ is essentially grading it a D, which given your critique sounds harsh.

I see, I see.

C+ seems fine to me.

The only plot point I didn't like: Why Damon seeing Blunt dance would have such a ripple effect. Doesn't seem like it'd change anyone but Damon by making him even more nuts for her. And it seemed like they were only concerned about the non Damon ripples. Maybe if Blunt saw him watching her dance it'd make sense

I thought this was absolutely wonderful and intense, and it's currently my favorite film of 2011. A-

Hardly a feud magnus, though I'm glad you're entertained.

It's not a feud, it's just Benji being a wannabe snob and picking on Gunslinger.

correct.

One thing that never made any sense to me was why her character was so passive. They got separated 3 main times and they never even implied that she sought him out any of those times even though he would be easy to find being a famous politician.

Well, I guess it can be argued that because she had two people she was supposed to be with she didn't search for David because she was with that other guy in the meantime. While David never met whomever he was supposed to be with according to the other plan so nothing stopped him for searching.

But the whole movie is filled with logic holes it's really not worth trying to explain everything. You either go with it or don't.