“The Adjustment Bureau” stars Matt Damon as David Norris, a NYC politician who’s running for the U.S. Senate. A few days before the election he meets a dancer named Elise, played by Emily Blunt. They instantly fall in love, but their relationship get interrupted by…The Adjustment Bureau, a group of men in hats whose job it is to make sure that everything in David’s life (and the lives of others) happens according to their plan.
David unexpectedly meets some of the men and they explain that he can no longer be with Elise. But a few years later they reunite, by chance – meaning it was not according to plan. The Adjustment Bureau must step-in and stop the relationship again, but David and Elise aren’t going to give up without a fight.
I was expecting “The Adjustment Bureau” to be an action/thriller, with a little romance thrown in. Instead it’s a romance with some, but not a lot of action. Jay Leno called it “The first Romantic Thriller”, and he’s right.
Both Damon and Blunt give strong performances and have nice chemistry on screen. Both characters are likable so you’re rooting for them to get together. Anthony Mackie (“The Hurt Locker”) and John Slattery (TV’s “Mad Men”) co-star as two of the Adjustment Bureau members, with two different opinions about “the plan”.
The script is solid – it does make you think about your life and if things are controlled by someone or something else. The set-up is a little slow but the last half hour or so things pick-up and the ending is pretty exciting. This movie is definitely off-beat, but clearly worth watching. It’s rated PG-13 for some adult content, language and the action. It’s appropriate for older kids and adults and will make a great at home “date night” movie for both men and women.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “The Adjustment Bureau” gets a B.