Climbing Higher Pictures

Seems like this is the year of the high-concept blockbusters, with Source Code on the horizon and a handful of other interesting projects in the pipeline. Sure The Adjustment Bureau was supposed to come out last year around summer time, but if it takes a little longer to get something right, and a studio still has enough confidence in it to give it a March berth, you know there might be more to this one than meets the eye.

The Adjustment Bureau Review

By Ryan Hamelin

Movie Grade: B+

Do you believe in free will? It’s a common cinematic conceit that governs every genre from sci-fi to romantic comedy. Does the protagonist have control over his or her own destiny, or is there a larger force at work? Is it fate, is it an entity, is it an organization? All of these possibilities have been explored countless times across every medium, and it’s for the simple reason that this is a question humanity continues to struggle with. Because of this, films that deal exclusively with some element of the question have a hard time hitting their mark, if only because the answer is never quite as satisfying or fulfilling as you’d want it to be, and one answer does not rub every viewer the same way. The Adjustment Bureau attempts the secret society approach, with its fair share of fate and laws of nature thrown in for good measure. The only question remains, is it on par with other titans of its genre?

For the most part, the answer is a resounding “yes.” The Adjustment Bureau does a great job with character introduction, establishing the rules of the world, and holding onto some great twists and surprises for when they’re needed the most. In much the same way Inception felt like it was relating elements of the dream world we’ve all come to respect but never really took the time to analyze, here we’re constantly greeted with a sense of familiarity and satisfaction that keeps us actively engaged throughout. The writing is wonderfully naturalistic and often so spot on that you wonder if the screenwriters simply recorded dialogue they overheard in a park somewhere. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt have an undeniable chemistry on screen, and you believe in them to the point that you’re willing to suspend your disbelief and allow the rougher edges of the exposition to sail by. Their love story is at times classic and cliché, something the film seems to struggle with on all fronts as the story begins to unfold before the audience. Constantly in danger of falling short of the mark, it’s surprising how often the film stays afloat with a well-placed wisecrack or a subtle reminder of a greater and more intricate mythology operating behind the scenes.

The place where the film truly shines is in its development of the “operative” characters. We spend a lot more time than one usually does with the members of the bureau, and allowing us equal access to both worlds makes us appreciate what they’re trying to do all the more. It may seem confusing at first, but we end up appreciating both the pursuers and the pursued, and though we always side with Damon, we have real empathy for those in his way, making the later revelations all the more emotional and gripping.

It’s hard to talk about a film like this without discussing the ending, as it is usually in the third act where a great premise starts going off the rails. I’d say that the script maintains its focus all the way through, but it doesn’t change the fact that the finale is rather understated, something that you probably wouldn’t expect as a viewer. I appreciated the ending for what it was, but a quick Google search will reveal that the film has been pushed back several times, and that one of the major reshoots revolved around this final scene. I think the theatrical cut works, don’t get me wrong, but I’m dreadfully curious to see the original cut. This may not be the gymnastic equivalent of sticking the landing, but it sure isn’t a face-plant.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with The Adjustment Bureau. Some might argue that they didn’t go far enough, I personally appreciated letting the air out of the balloon a bit so as to not disappoint the casual viewer. An endless series of New York landmarks are touched upon throughout the film, and it’s the closest modern NYC has come to being represented honestly in a Hollywood film. Some pacing issues and weird temporal jumps aside, I think this is an incredibly successful movie, and given the bar it was aiming for, a wholly admirable work of cinema. Don’t let this one drift into your future Netflix DVD queue, see it in a theater with a couple of friends and enjoy some healthy debate after the credits roll.