Phew, it’s time to come down from the cinematic high horse that is AWARDS SEASON and relish in some movies that are pure escapist fun. The Adjustment Bureau is definitely one of them.
It’s a combination political thriller, romantic drama, comedy, and conspiracy movie all rolled into one. It stars the extremely watchable Matt Damon as David Norris, a smooth, but sometimes careless New York politician whose fate – and ambitions – appear to change after a chance encounter with a beautiful ballet dancer named Elise (Emily Blunt).
The premise of the movie is that there’s a so-called “Adjustment Bureau” run by a “higher power” with a team of “agents” whose job it is to covertly make sure that people stick to a predetermined plan, or destiny. For reasons that grow clearer as the film progresses, the bureau is determined to keep David and Elise apart despite their obvious attraction. But the agents’ attempts to “adjust” David’s path become way more difficult after he discovers their existence and vows to exercise his own free will and be with the woman he loves. Game on.
The supporting cast includes John Slattery (Mad Men) as a conniving, yet amusing bureau boss, and Anthony Mackie as an underling who goes rogue. Are they good guys? Bad guys? Angels? Devils? Good question… 
The Adjustment Bureau is like a very special (and trippy) crossover episode of Highway to Heaven and Touched By An Angel, with a bit of Oh, God! thrown in to the mix – and maybe even a bit of the recent mind-bender Inception.
The dialogue is snappy, Damon and Blunt are super-cute together, and the movie is thought-provoking enough to put it a notch above mindless entertainment – and into the realm of somewhat thought-provoking entertainment.
Ultimately, you have the power to control your own destiny and choose whether to see The Adjustment Bureau. Unless perhaps I’m a member of the Adjustment Bureau, secretly plotting to manipulate your thoughts and actions where movies are concerned…
I plead the fifth.
Is it really as saccharine as Touched by an Angel and Highway to Heaven? The previews looked somewhat darker.
No… not as saccharine. It is indeed darker, but similar in theory none-the-less.
The Adjustment Bureau was certainly a good movie. Was it an award-winner…probably not. But, it definitely held my attention; I didn’t check my watch once (which says quite a bit for me). The description by Mainstream Chick is spot on.
Just watched Adjustment Bureau. I liked it a lot. And I still don’t get the Touched by an Angel and Highway to Heaven reference except there is a higher power at work through some surrogates; these are by no means angelic. Its is a smart script, well done. It is indeed very nice chemistry with the leads and a lot of fun to watch. Rent it for a fun night in.