Thursday, January 12, 2012

Adjustment Bureau (2011)


Philip K Dick based romance about a man running for Senate who has a chance encounter with a woman and who's life changes as a result...more so since he finds the courage not to take the path that life has laid out for him and instead takes on all that "heaven" throws at him in order to find the one thing that matters most to him.

Knowing the work of Philip K Dick I'm guessing this not so dark romantic film has been greatly changed from it's source story. I would guess that the film probably simply retains the adjustment bureau and the conflict with some one who sees them. I could be wrong, but I don't think that Dick wrote such a wonderfully sappy love story.

The plot has Matt Damon as a young buck New York politician running into the beautiful Emily Blunt in a men's room on the night he loses an election. Instantly smitten he wants to spend his life with her, but he finds duty pulls him away and in conceding he gives one of the best speeches of his life. Several days later he meets her again on a bus and they really connect this time...only they were never suppose to meet again...whats worse is that Damon walks in as the Adjustment Bureau are correcting things at his office. Dragged off to some place between worlds Damon is told to forget the girl and not to try and find her. His destiny lies elsewhere. Three years pass and wouldn't you know it he meet her again, only the Adjustment Bureau won't stand for it and they take action to try and keep them apart.

One of my favorite films of 2011, this is a wonderful story about the course of the human heart and finding your own way. I was smiling from ear to ear and having a grand old time as I watched the film at home on DVD.

I know the film did some business at the box office but I don't think it did super spectacular. I know several people I've talked to about it didn't see it because they didn't know what it was. They all thought it was a super sinister film instead of a wonderful romance. I know the problem is that the trailers were all cut from from the chase scenes in the latter part of the film which gives a false impression about what the film is all about. I know I was confused since I put on the film hoping for a nice science fiction action film only to be blind sided by something else.

Sometimes it's good to be blind sided,especially when you have a film as thrilling and affirming as this one is.

I really liked it.

I also love the use of New York Locations. I could recognize a good number of them and their extensive use makes the film a wonderful time capsule of New York in 2010/1.

Highly recommended

I can recommend this film highly enough. It's a wonderful and charming romance that just made me feel good.

Out on DVD.

1 comment:

  1. I saw this on a plane, and still really enjoyed it despite the tiny screen and crap sound. It's on my DVD rental list, and I look forward to seeing it again in better style!

    ReplyDelete