The Adjustment Bureau

I am a big fan of Matt Damon. He has a gift for choosing projects that perfectly fit his personality. He plays action and emotion equally well.

In 'The Adjustment Bureau', Damon plays David, a candidate for U.S. Senate who has damaging information released about him on the day of the election which costs him the race. By chance he meets a beautiful woman, Elise (Emily Blunt) while working on his concession speech in the men's bathroom. She is the kind of woman a man meets and never ever forgets. However, that is where the problems begin.


It seems that this politician is someone who the so called 'Adjustment Bureau' has been watching for a long time. The script is based on a Phillip K. Dick short story so you know it's going to be trippy. These 'men in hats' are responsible for the way everything happens in the world. With the spilling of a cup of coffee they can change the future and the future does not include Damon's character falling in love with the girl of his dreams - so 'adjustments' have to be made. The trailer gives you all the background you need.



Both Blunt and Damon have terrific chemistry. She is the kind of girl I would search the world to find. She is funny and quick, beautiful and smart. His love for her is so believable that you totally buy into all the strange plot devices that drive the story. I for one was fascinated by the internal logic of the film. I so wanted David and Elise to get together and defeat the manipulations of the 'Bureau' who are not evil, just driven. It's a battle of minds and not one of guns and bullets which is so refreshing.


Terrance Stamp, as one of the higher level bureaucrats, has a few terrific scenes with Damon where he tries to reason with him to leave Elise instead of forcing him to do that. Their argument about the inability for a person to outrun their 'fate' really gets to the heart of understanding human existence.

Love AND philosophy? Doesn't get any better than that for me. Best movie I have seen so far this year.

10/10