|
 The
question of free will over the machinations of a higher power isn’t a
new subject. The bread and butter of philosophy professors everywhere,
the prospect of fate versus self-determination has been debated for
centuries in every medium. Are there outside forces controlling our
destinies? Why exactly did we turn left when we could’ve turned right?
In The Adjustment Bureau, one man is able to glimpse one possible theory
of the whys and wherefores of human existence.
David
Norris is a brash young politician with a motivated base ready to carry
their Brooklyn-version Kennedy to victory. Despite charming the media
and pundits everywhere -- including Jon Stewart and Jesse Jackson -- the
inglorious results of David’s misspent youth emerge in the papers as an
eleventh-hour surprise effectively puts the kibosh on his campaign. The
disappointment might have smarted a bit more had David not found some
consolation in the Waldorf Astoria men’s room. Elise, a free-spirited
wedding crasher overhears David practising his concession speech and
inspires him to stay true to the message that roused his supporters.
One kiss and she’s off again, escaping the clutches of hotel security
and out of his life. David’s return to the private sector is
unencumbered by distraction, so much so he never notices that he is
tailed by a legion of men in fedoras. These fellows seem to know every
detail about David’s life and habits, and indeed seem to be magically
manoeuvring circumstances around him like leading a rat through a trap.
It’s one chapeaued gent’s tardiness with a seemingly minor scheduled
intervention that throws a wrench into the plans of Team Fedora. The
missed interaction leads David to a chance meeting with the mysterious
lady from Election Night. That happy coincidence will wreak havoc on
the itineraries of those men with hats. In their hands, they hold The
Plan. The Ever After. The Grand Scheme. The Beginning and The End.
Their entire reason for being is to keep us lowly humans on track,
running along the lines of the maps laid out in their ledgers with no
deviation. One swerve from the carefully set plan and the butterfly
effect could threaten the entire planet. So it goes with David and
Elise, their happy little run-in, so meaningful to them both was never
supposed to happen, and subsequently David is told the consequences are
far more than either of them could ever imagine. The Men With Hats make
a deal with David; give up the girl and we’ll leave her alone. The ‘Or
Else’ for David being a complete memory wipe or “reset” and all his
efforts to be with Elise will have been in vain. That works for about
five minutes before the pair realise they can’t live without each other,
and with the help of the hat man in need of No-Doz that got them into
this mess in the first place, fight heaven and earth to be together.
Loosely based on a Philip K. Dick short story, I’d not look too hard for
any specific spiritual alliance here as the filmmakers work hard to make
it as vague as possible. Neither God, Allah, Buddha, nor any other deity
is specified and instead we have references to a “Chairman” being at the
top of all these schemes. There is a vague resemblance to Wim Wender’s
1987 classic Wings of Desire in the interaction of the higher beings and
humans, but only barely. The deities here are never identified as
angels and are more like the Japanese-issue shinigami so abundant in
anime these days; supernatural beings keeping mankind in check and a
balance in all things. They’re basically celestial working stiffs. The
Bureau has traded wings for fedoras, which only make them stand out when
walking in a group as they resemble some kind of Mad Men fan club (-
an image not helped by the presence of John Slattery as the lead hat.).
Leads Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are adorable and carry off the
slim premise with more depth than expected. The aforementioned Slattery
is wry and delivers most of the film’s humour. The excellent Terence
Stamp isn’t around long enough as the scariest hat in town. The special
effects are a low-key wow, particularly the scenes featuring the doors
placed throughout a richly-shot New York City accessible only to the
fedora-wearing guardians allowing them transport them across huge
distances all over town. Damon and Blunt’s chase from City Hall, to the
new Yankee Stadium, back to the top of the MetLife Building is seamless
and fun to watch.
In the
end, The Adjustment Bureau is a great date movie; what girl wouldn’t
want to meet the man who would stand up to God and all His angels --
sorry, The Chairman and his corporate drones -- for the woman he loves?
Thoroughly romantic and a flight of pure fantasy, though interesting in
its considerations of what is fate and what is ours to decide. There
are far less entertaining ways to spend your weekend than at The
Adjustment Bureau.
~ The
Lady Miz Diva
March
4th, 2011
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