The Adjustment Bureau

This is a movie that I truly feel will age very well as time goes on. This is such a fantastic movie on every level and is entertaining every step of the way. This has one of the most solid casts of any movie that I have seen in a while and what I mean is that even the small supporting roles are convincingly acted. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are the heart and soul of this movie and without their onscreen chemistry this would have been a joke of a movie. The basic concept of the movie is pretty basic but the execution by the cast and director added much needed depth to the narrative and give character development to a good amount of the characters that are featured in the movie. I heard a lot of mixed reviews of the movie but in my opinion this is a great movie and is definitely worth your time.

The movie centers an young congressman running for New York Senate, played by Damon. Then one day he meets a beautiful dancer, played by Blunt, and their fates are intertwined from that point on. A mysterious group called The Adjustment Bureau then goes to work to try and separate the two. The movie delves heavily into the ideas of fate, destiny, free will, and God. Each theme is explored within the narrative of the movie and nothing in the movie is too heavy handed where it would distract the viewer or take away from the movie itself. There is also a member of the bureau, played by Anthony Mackie, who tries to help Damon's character reconnect with the woman he loves and this is because of the fact that he has been guiding Damon's character for his entire life. The chase in the movie adds a little action to a fantastic love story and what could also be described as a solid science fiction movie if you take into account certain elements of the film.

From this point forward there will be some mild spoilers....... Just watch the movie and then come back and read the rest later.

The Adjustment Bureau is in some way supposed to represent angels from the religion of Christianity. They guide people's major life decisions and keep them on their "path" that was written for them when they were born. Mackie plays an agent who experiences emotions that he is not supposed to and that makes him sympathize with the people who's lives he is altering almost every second of the day. His superior is called "The Chairman" and is more than likely supposed to represent God. This is all explained in the movie in a very coherent way and nothing ever really feels forced and the story flows uninterrupted. All of the agents represent a different aspect of the way angels are perceived in the different religions. You have ones that want to interact with humans, ones who want to protect, some who want to only maintain order, and others who want to punish the humans for any little infraction. This all just speaks to the different interpretations of angels in our culture, and I may be reading to much into the movie but this is my opinion after all.

Damon and Blunt are the main reason to see this movie and neither disappoints. The chemistry between the two is unbelievably good and it also helps that they each give superior performances. Their interactions with each other are always natural and never feel forced at any point. This is Damon's best performance in my opinion and I have seen almost all of his movies from over the years. He does a great job of playing this man who is on his way to becoming one of the most important men in America but when he meets this woman he is willing to drop everything in order to spend the rest of his life with her. You are able to sympathize with his character at every turn and he is always likable . Blunt plays a sarcastic and charming dancer who falls in love with him almost instantly. On a side note, Emily Blunt may be the most beautiful woman in Hollywood at this moment. She looks radiant in every scene she is in and is likable in every scene. Their chemistry is amazing and you really could believe that they were falling in love.

Overall this movie is a watch in my opinion. This is a movie that appeals to almost every group. It has enough action to keep men engaged and enough of a love story to keep the female viewers engaged as well. The themes in this movie are also treated with care and the opinions portrayed in the movie are never forced down the viewers' throats. This is a fantastic movie that should be a most watch for most people. Overall I would give this movie a 9/10.