The Adjustment Bureau

Even years after his death, Phillip K. Dick still has literary works that have yet to transition to the big screen. One of his short stories, Adjustment Team, has now made that cinematic transition in the form of The Adjustment Bureau.

David Norris (Matt Damon) is a New York Congressman whose immaturity has just cost him the Senate Seat. He just happens to meet Elise (Emily Blunt), a dancer at a ballet company and then, they fall in love. Right?

Not if the titular Bureau has anything to say about it.

It’s their job to make sure peoples’ lives go according to the plan of the guy they call “The Chairman.” When David accidentally sees them at work, head bureaucrat Richardson (John Slattery) warns him not to see Elise again or else. David, with the support of sympathetic bureaucrat Harry (Anthony Mackie), decides to find a way around the red tape to get to her.

George Nofli, screenwriter of previous Matt Damon hits Ocean’s Twelve and The Bourne Ultimatum, makes his directorial debut here. His film might seem complicated, but really, it’s a rather understandable story. It’s just that it’s told in a unique way (Well, sort of).

One of the film’s best aspects is its stars. As the leads, Blunt and Damon go very well together and on their own. Their antagonists, meanwhile, aren’t simply strict bureaucrats, but decent guys doing their job because they consider it right. It’s a real contrast to their “black and white” worldview, and it serves to make their Sci-Fi environment very believable.

The chase scenes, all on foot, are well-edited, exciting, and even humorous. As I watched the earlier ones, I felt all they needed was Yakety Sax. This wasn’t a problem for me, yet I’d imagine it be for someone expecting a purely serious sci-fi flick.

For those who know what to expect, The Adjustment Bureau'll be a satisfactory experience. Of course, if you don't, chances are you might adjust your perception afterwards.

Jethro's Note: Phillip K. Dick wrote 121 short stories and 44 novels. So, that's plenty of material awaiting the cinema screens.