The Adjustment Bureau

Hmmm.

That basically sums up the whole film.

The plot is a guy - David Morris (an on form Matt Damon)- who is running for senate/congress, when one day he meets a young woman - Elise (a lovely Emily Blunt) who changes his views of himself and the world. The idea next, is that some middle aged men in trilby hats walk in and try to change a situation (supernaturally?!) in order that the "plan" is kept on track. The "plan" means that David and Elise should not be allowed to be together, and the film carries on with David chasing after Elise and the "adjusters" chasing after him. Ambiguous, i know. Stay with me.

The thing that this film has going for it, is it's two main characters, David and Elise. There is something very sweet and uncomplicated by their fragmented relationship. In some ways it is very idealistic, in the sort of chick flick sense, yet at the same time there is a charming realism to them and their relationship is funny and honest. The girl part of me also falls for the "fated" to be together side of the story, and it's quite nice to see Matt Damon chase after the girl.

However the rest of the plot, storyline and characters, are, well, a shambles. It turns out that the adjustment bureau (thats what the middle aged men are part of) are the "chairman's" (a hideously trivial metaphor for God) cronies. As a christian, there are some very dodgy lines and ideas in this movie about God and his plan for us. For instance, one minute God, or as some may like to call him, the "chairman", has a plan for us that must not change. Yet there is also chance that sometimes just happens. Sometimes we have free will, sometimes we don't. Sometimes the cronies step in, sometimes they don't. In the end the "Chairman" changes his mind about a certain plan and changes it dues to someones free will. It is concluded that we all have free will, sometimes we just need enough power to use it. Hmmmm.

 You may not be a christian. You may well be thinking, i can work with this concept, fate, god, matt damon yadydayda. Well let me tell you a few things. The cronies can lose their power of whatever it is they have in the first place by either, losing their trilbys or being near water. No word of a lie.

Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are perfect for each other. They are vibrant, charming and charismatic, and ideally should have had a film to themselves. However, they are crowded by an over complicated dodgy philosophical concept that at times is made ridiculous.
2 and a half / 5.