Jason KingThe Adjustment Bureau (7/10) - Review by BigGeoff from Ciinefools
March 10th 2011 19:48
:
A love story sold as a Sci-Fi/Thriller
Category: Reviews
I just wanted to pass on massive thanks to great friend Biggeoff from CINEFOOLS who watched The Adjustment Bureau and has supplied his review to be published on Salty as well as his own site. The fools and myself all met in our first month of writing reviews at what was one of my most stressful days - the first interview - it has gotten much easier now but we had the joy of interviewing Zack Snyder together for The Watchmen and then the two leads - I think we all bonded over nerves 
Hey FOOLS! I need to stress this early on, there will be some spoilers in this review. Rest assured they are required in order to help you make a decision on whether or not you wish to see this film. I actually really enjoyed the film but there are two elements to the film that will be it's downfall in peoples eyes. Firstly it is completely sold/marketed the wrong way and secondly there is the God/Religion factor that people will probably not be expecting. But we'll get to all that later.
The Adjustment Bureau is the story of David Norris, played by Matt Damon, who is running for Senator of New York. After a scandal leaves him losing the election in a landslide Norris prepares to give a speech addressing his supporters, as he rehearses his speech in the toilets of a hotel he meets Elise, played by Emily Blunt, who is hiding in the mens toilets (strange I know but required for the plots sake). It is immediately apparent that there is a spark between the two of them but norris is forced to leave to give his speech.
A few months later Norris is catching a bus to work when he sits down next to Elise, once again the sparks suggest they could be very happy together. Before leaving the bus Elise gives Norris her number. When he arrives at his office Norris discovers everyone is frozen and a team of men are scanning staff members heads. Norris is shown that there is a team of men whose job is to ensure that peoples lives go according to a set plan, they are known as The Adjustment Bureau. They tell Norris that his being with Elise is not in that plan and he can't see her anymore. Norris is left constantly thinking about Elise for the next few years and has to decide whether both their dreams and aspirations are more important than being with together.
Within the film's plot that I've just written lies the two elements of the film that I think people will potentially have a problem with and as a result may end up with a pretty solid film getting some reviews that are not completely favourable. Firstly the way in which the film was marketed gave a good indication of what the film will entail but what it really plays down is the love aspect of the film. The trailer and even some posters make the film to be a "Inception meets Bourne" type film when in reality the film is more about what you would do for love than it is about The Plan or The Bureau itself. My wife said it best when she said that the trailers made the Adjustment Bureau out to be a group of evil henchmen who are trying to ruin Norris' life when in reality it is far from that. They care about the people whose lives they adjust, but they still have a job to do.
The other element I think some people will struggle with is the God/Religion factor and here's the biggest spoiler of the review. The Adjustment Bureau are actually angels whose job it is to try get everything to fit into the plan God has set, in this case David and Elise are not meant to be together in the plan that has been set for them. I have no problem with it but when religion is subtly added into films some people feel as though they've been tricked. I know this was the case with The Book of Eli for a few people and I believe the same might be felt with The Adjustment Bureau.
I'm sorry if this has felt a bit negative. In actual fact I really enjoyed the film and I'm going to let you all in on a little secret. I'm a sucker for a good romantic comedy. Now this film has the romance portion covered but instead of being a comedy it is a Thriller. I have to give props to writer/director George Nolfi who makes his directorial debut with The Adjustment Bureau because a good romantic based film needs two things. A story that makes the romance believable and something that can be the focus of the film for it's entirity and it also needs the actors of the romance to be believable. A great thriller needs a story that doesn't feel tired and done before and it also needs to be as uncomplicated whilst remaining engaging and intelligent. Nolfi manages to provide a film that delivers in both the Romance and Thriller components of the film. Each of these elements would give experienced directors a challenge so I look forward to his next effort.
Thinking more about the film I'd probably be giving this quite a solid review if it had been sold to me differently. I had to spend the first half of the film getting used to the romance side of the film but once I got over that I really enjoyed it. Geoff caved and gave it a score - 7/10
Thanks big guy and good luck to you and the wifey with the about to arrive baby
Hey FOOLS! I need to stress this early on, there will be some spoilers in this review. Rest assured they are required in order to help you make a decision on whether or not you wish to see this film. I actually really enjoyed the film but there are two elements to the film that will be it's downfall in peoples eyes. Firstly it is completely sold/marketed the wrong way and secondly there is the God/Religion factor that people will probably not be expecting. But we'll get to all that later.
The Adjustment Bureau is the story of David Norris, played by Matt Damon, who is running for Senator of New York. After a scandal leaves him losing the election in a landslide Norris prepares to give a speech addressing his supporters, as he rehearses his speech in the toilets of a hotel he meets Elise, played by Emily Blunt, who is hiding in the mens toilets (strange I know but required for the plots sake). It is immediately apparent that there is a spark between the two of them but norris is forced to leave to give his speech.
You are SOOOOOOO Beautiful
A few months later Norris is catching a bus to work when he sits down next to Elise, once again the sparks suggest they could be very happy together. Before leaving the bus Elise gives Norris her number. When he arrives at his office Norris discovers everyone is frozen and a team of men are scanning staff members heads. Norris is shown that there is a team of men whose job is to ensure that peoples lives go according to a set plan, they are known as The Adjustment Bureau. They tell Norris that his being with Elise is not in that plan and he can't see her anymore. Norris is left constantly thinking about Elise for the next few years and has to decide whether both their dreams and aspirations are more important than being with together.
Within the film's plot that I've just written lies the two elements of the film that I think people will potentially have a problem with and as a result may end up with a pretty solid film getting some reviews that are not completely favourable. Firstly the way in which the film was marketed gave a good indication of what the film will entail but what it really plays down is the love aspect of the film. The trailer and even some posters make the film to be a "Inception meets Bourne" type film when in reality the film is more about what you would do for love than it is about The Plan or The Bureau itself. My wife said it best when she said that the trailers made the Adjustment Bureau out to be a group of evil henchmen who are trying to ruin Norris' life when in reality it is far from that. They care about the people whose lives they adjust, but they still have a job to do.
The other element I think some people will struggle with is the God/Religion factor and here's the biggest spoiler of the review. The Adjustment Bureau are actually angels whose job it is to try get everything to fit into the plan God has set, in this case David and Elise are not meant to be together in the plan that has been set for them. I have no problem with it but when religion is subtly added into films some people feel as though they've been tricked. I know this was the case with The Book of Eli for a few people and I believe the same might be felt with The Adjustment Bureau.
I'm sorry if this has felt a bit negative. In actual fact I really enjoyed the film and I'm going to let you all in on a little secret. I'm a sucker for a good romantic comedy. Now this film has the romance portion covered but instead of being a comedy it is a Thriller. I have to give props to writer/director George Nolfi who makes his directorial debut with The Adjustment Bureau because a good romantic based film needs two things. A story that makes the romance believable and something that can be the focus of the film for it's entirity and it also needs the actors of the romance to be believable. A great thriller needs a story that doesn't feel tired and done before and it also needs to be as uncomplicated whilst remaining engaging and intelligent. Nolfi manages to provide a film that delivers in both the Romance and Thriller components of the film. Each of these elements would give experienced directors a challenge so I look forward to his next effort.
Thinking more about the film I'd probably be giving this quite a solid review if it had been sold to me differently. I had to spend the first half of the film getting used to the romance side of the film but once I got over that I really enjoyed it. Geoff caved and gave it a score - 7/10
Thanks big guy and good luck to you and the wifey with the about to arrive baby
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