The Adjustment Bureau : The affair between a politician and a ballerina is affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers apart, but for what reasons?
Hello Everyone
Welcome to my next Dr Film Review, Today on the blog I'm going to be talking about 'The Adjustment Bureau' a film, that was shown on Channel 4 not long ago, It was by chance that it was on when I was in, I'd never seen the film, and it was one I had heard good things about and had interest in watching, however, when it actually came down to watching the story, and getting involved with film. It didn't do much for me. I'll go into more detail about that in a second.
But right now, I want to go into the storyline of this film. This is a film which begs the question of 'Do we control our destiny, or do unseen forces manipulate us?' that question is emphasised when an ordinary man glimpses the future fate he has planned for him and realises he wants something else. to get it, he must pursue across, under and through the streets of modern-day New York with the only woman he's ever loved.
On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris (Matt Damon) meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) - a woman like none he's ever known. But just as he realises he's developing affectionate feelings towards her, a group mysterious men in black suits (I know very cliche) conspire to keep the two apart. but why?
David soon learns he is up against the agents of fate itself - the men of 'The Adjustment Bureau' - who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path...or risk everything to defy the laws of fate and be with her. It's a love story, over whelmed with soppy sentimentality and creepy guys in black suits, which act very alien and mysterious.
I’ll be honest, I'm not a fan of what the story has to offer. Shock horror! Too much back and forth and people getting captured, but I do think it’s a very good concept, just a bit too long. It doesn't do itself any favours with whole 'defying the laws of fate' thing. To stretch that out for 106 minutes, can get a bit tenuoud.
By the time it got to the end of the film, I didn't really care what happened. It was boring. I had no interest in the plot.
Here's a quick clip.
It's a pity because you got a great cast coming in to be in the film, people like Matt Damon, Terrence Stamp, John Slattery and Anthony Mackie. I know some people would think, 'oh you've missed out Emily Blunt' but seeing as I was never really truly invested in her character, she just irritated me.
Quite a lot of running around in this film, and not knowing which way is up. Which is a little confusing but so difficult that you can't follow it. It's interesting to start off with, when Matt Damon is being unexplainably followed by Anthony Mackie. The viewer thinks 'oh what's going on here' only to be disappointed later on when your dished with the main plot.
This story, it had a lot of potential but for me, it was just very slow, and tiring and boring. 106 minutes of
pure sleep induction.
You have the men in black, and Terrence Stamps character which isn't really explained clearly as to who they are, not clearly. They're just in the story to induce all their efforts in insure Matt Damon doesn't end up being with Emily Blunt. A relationship which is not that interesting or bigger deal worth fussing over. It's just a boy and girl talking, you can tell they got chemistry, but for me having a load of mysterious guys in black suits chase you around New York, and tell you off like a protective parent and saying 'you can't be with this woman'. It digresses my expectations of the film and makes the black suited guys look silly.
Matt Damon (pictured above) playing a politician, a man who's not used to having to know what he's talking about. He makes the character as interesting as he possibly can, you do get the impression that underneath his work he's a casual, ordinary, everyday sort of guy. It's when the tables turn and he gets caught up in this adventure, he becomes the sort of 'Hero' role.
The problem I have with this is, his character completely changes party way through the movie, it's as if he's playing two completely different people. It begs the question, what was his role in this again?
What might be his one saving grace is, I can picture other actors doing a similar job. People like 'Michael Fassbender' or 'John Travolta' as two examples.
What I do like though, is the scene where he's stepping up in front of an audience and he talks about the way his format works, everyday he gets his tie picked out for him, and he talks about how a design of tie would make him appeal. That and various other things that he says are all co-hearent and make sense to real politics today. He just speaks the truth as says 'you know what? I don't need a team to do stuff for me. I'm a capable man, I can do it myself' and it just adds to his character. So that was all right. I didn't mind that so much.
Well I have to ask, what would you give 'The Adjustment Bureau' out of ten? if you've never seen it and you've read every word I just said, what would you give it out of ten?
I'm going to give it a 5/10. Level ground. Still not a great film.
Thanks for reading this guys.
NEXT : I will review 'The Butterfly Effect'. I'll get round to reviewing that on Tuesday the 22nd of October 2013.
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