Review of The Adjustment Bureau (2011) by Jason F — 12 Feb 2014

The Adjustment Bureau (2011).

Another Philip K. Dick short story brought to the big screen that explores the concept of free-will versus fate, destiny, and of meeting your soul mate.

David Norris (Matt Damon) is a young man who has dreams of getting into politics. During a senate race, in which he's defeated, David is in the Men's restroom trying to figure out what to say for his capitulation speech. Here he meets up with ballet dancer, Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) who is hiding there from security.

Something really clicks between them, changing David's whole attitude, that in turn effects how his speech turns out and how it's received by the public. Several days later, he meets Elise again. This time on a city bus and get's her phone number.

David is unaware of men following and watching him. Through a slip-up, he arrives at his destination a few minutes early and runs into these mysterious men manipulating the brains of the people in his office.

The team leader, Mr. Richardson (John Slattery) has these men take David to a large room where he tells David about the Adjustment Bureau, a cabal of people with the power to manipulate the fates of people's futures. Their organization is meant to change the world for the better by adjusting people's paths, sort of like a guardian angel, but they come off a little more sinister. Richardson says that they make sure things go according to plan, although he is not privy to what plan that is.

Richardson threatens to wash away all of David's memory unless he promises to not disclose their secrets. In the meantime he must forget about any further contact with this girl and destroys Elise's phone number.

David goes along with this, but can't seem to get Elise out of his head. David rides the same bus for more than two years in hopes of finding her. When he does and tries to strike up a relationship with her, the Adjustment Bureau is hot on his heals. Richardson is forced to take this to the guy higher up, Mr. Thompson (Terence Stamp).