Cinema Verdict Review: The Adjustment Bureau

The Adjustment Bureau

OPENING: 03/04/2011

STUDIO: Universal Pictures

RUN TIME: 105 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
They stole his future. Now he’s taking it back.

Opening Statement
Steven Spielberg should have directed The Adjustment Bureau. Everything from the nifty Philip K. Dick storyline, to the clever cat-and-mouse via Alfred Hitchcock-romantic-intrigue chase, begs for the legendary director’s involvement. But, alas, Spielberg didn’t direct The Adjustment Bureau –George Nolfi did. Which means, despite fine performances, and some imagination, the film fails to live up to its Inception-size potential.

Facts of the Case
Matt Damon stars as David Norris, an energetic politician with a bright future whose destiny, unbeknownst to him, lies within the hands of a powerful, supernatural agency known as The Adjustment Bureau. A chance encounter with a carefree woman named Elise (Emily Blunt) dislodges Norris from his current path, and forces the Bureau’s hand. With his destiny no longer in his control, can Norris learn the truth of his existence? And will that truth allow him to be with the woman he loves, or is he destined to follow the life the Bureau has set out for him?

The Evidence
I love films that deal with determinism vs. fate. It’s the prime reason “Macbeth” remains my favorite Shakespeare play, why religion in general fascinates me, and why I wasn’t as harsh towards Alex Proyas’ Knowing as other film critics. Do we make our own choices, or are our lives planned in advance? Does anybody truly have free will? Is it enough to say I can choose which tie I will wear, if the remainder of my day’s activities is predetermined?

That’s the basic idea behind George Nolfi’s The Adjustment Bureau, a film that deals with the concept of free agency, but takes it a step further and evaluates whether or not we, as a species, truly deserve it. “We gave you free agency,” one of the Bureau characters tells Norris, “and you brought about the dark ages.”

The rationale behind every religion–and the notion of God, a god, or gods–is that people find comfort knowing that someone somewhere has things under control. Events such as 9/11 are justified as part of God’s ultimate plan. Families devastated by the loss of loved ones talk of “God needing their loved ones up in Heaven” as though blatantly justifying death, however unnecessary it might initially seem.

I recall last year’s Rabbit Hole in which Nicole Kidman, playing a grieving mother whose son recently died in an accident, responded to such “religious” allegations by asking, “Why couldn’t God choose another angel?”

M. Night Shymalan likewise dealt with similar themes in the terrific thriller Signs. At one point Mel Gibson’s character engages in a deep conversation with his brother, played by Joaquin Phoenix. The topic on hand dealt with whether there was somebody looking out for us, or if we were all alone in the universe. That film settled on determinism at its conclusion, which some found silly. I found it fascinating.

Of course the logic doesn’t hold up either way. If a god truly manipulates the world behind the veil, what then is the point of living? Things will happen whether we want them to or not; there’s no point in resisting. Our paths are set. On the other hand, if no one controls our fate, or our destiny, then religion and all of its prophecies and vast predictions are kaput–the world exists as it does today because we made it that way. Doesn’t that reduce God’s power by a large degree? Doesn’t that scare people?

The Adjustment Bureau raises such questions, and proposes the need for a spiritual guide, a helping hand, so to speak. The Bureau manipulates the world in order to keep things moving at a tolerable rate. Sure bad things still happen, but the world continues to live on. In other words, humans cannot adequately control their own fate, they need someone to do it for them. And so, the Bureau gives us control over mundane tasks–clothes, money, etc.–but manipulates all else.

Into this foray fall Norris and Elise, two individuals who connect so perfectly it’s foolish to think they should ever be apart. Yet, the Bureau does all in its power to keep the couple from staying together because of the potential long-term effects. Undaunted, Norris pursues his love, and the element of chance is introduced.

Apparently, friendly-Bureau agent Anthony Mackie (channeling his inner Bagger Vance) tells us, the Bureau cannot control chance. Things happen for a reason; things that nobody, not even the “Chairman” (the agency’s equivalent to God) himself (or herself) can control.

So where does that leave Norris and Elise? Or, more specifically, where does that leave the rest of us?

These are deep, philosophical, thought-provoking questions. Unfortunately, first time director Nolfi (who co-wrote The Bourne Ultimatum and Ocean’s 12, among others) has neither the technical skills, nor the creative imagination to execute such concepts satisfactorily. Nolfi scraps the philosophical in favor of telling a silly, near-comic love story. The Adjustment Bureau feels more like Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise/Sunset films with a touch of The Matrix.

The problem lies with the Bureau themselves. Dressed in 1950s style get-ups–that include “powerful” fedoras–the agency members are given too much screen time, too much dialogue. They lack mystery and, to my knowledge, pose no threat to Norris. I understand one must forgo logic for a film of this nature to work, but where is the conundrum? The intensity? The eye popping revelations? Bureau invests so much time watching its leads banter back and forth that it forgets to resolve its own conflicts. And then the film just…ends. None of it makes sense.

Of course Damon and Blunt are terrific. Maybe Nolfi edited his film in favor of the love story because his actors carried so much weight. Damon gives a light hearted performance, one that never takes what he sees for granted. Blunt’s role gives her a chance to throw down zippy dialogue in a way only a Brit could, whilst showing off her incredible physical talents–Elise is a ballerina, and much time is spent watching her dance and perform, even though such scenes tend to bog the film down. Together the leads sizzle, bubbling with chemistry, personality and wit. Like Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp in last year’s dinky The Tourist, Damon and Blunt keep The Adjustment Bureau entertaining, and ultimately watchable–despite its obvious flaws. That’s true star power right there.

I mentioned Spielberg earlier. The famed director, who previously helmed Dick’s Minority Report to great heights, could have taken Bureau’s formula whichever way he chose. The Adjustment Bureau needed a director with vision, and depth; a director not afraid to travel through the dark waters of science fiction. Nolfi isn’t that director, but at least he gave us a cute romantic comedy.

Closing Statement
The Adjustment Bureau carries a nifty story to underwhelming heights. The performances from Damon and Blunt are great, but what should have been a slick, philosophical journey loses itself amidst an ordinary romance.

The Verdict
7/10