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Saturday, April 9, 2011

The Adjustment Bureau (2011 George Nolfi)




David Norris is a brilliant politician who is running for a seat in the Senate. The day when he was defeated, he met Elise, a beautiful ballet dancer. The following day, he met the girl again on his way to work but then, he saw things he was not supposed to see : people who work for the Adjustement Bureau, who « make sure things happen according to Plan ». The chief threatened Norris not to reveal their existence or they will reset him...and also not to see the girl again because they are not meant to be together. When Norris decides to pursue the woman he loves, the agents will do anything in their powers to keep the lovers apart.

(SPOILER)
This is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s short story, the guy thanks to whom we’ve got excellent and original stories such as Blade Runner and A Skanner Darkly. The movie is about fate, the fact that there is a Plan for each of us and everything is supossed to happen exactly as planned to keep the balance in this world. When something occured that is not in the Plan, an intervention team steps in to « adjust » the event. You take Inception (the brain reset), Matrix (the « agents), add Norman Jewison’s Only you (with Robert Downey Jr and Marisa Tomei) and you’ve got The Adjustment Bureau. Nota bad, indeed but in my humble opinion, the movie could have been a very good one if only the Adjustment Bureau wasn’t so weak (or may be the Chairman wants it that way). The plot suggests Fate is not omnipotent and in certain circumstances, free will can prevail, we can change our destiny. All this « mess » happens because the guy from the Bureau fell asleep in the park while he was supposed to make sure Norris spills his coffee by 7 05. The Bureau is not able to control some events like rain and water for instance, the Chairman even changes the Plan sometimes (David and Elise were meant to be when they were born, in the 80s and the 90s but in 2005, the Chairman decides otherwise). But hey, it is a movie, right? It is supposed to make us think about our life, but it is not to be taken seriously, just entertainment. 




Quote:
Richardson: You look exhausted, you should take a vacation when it will be finished. You earned it
Mitchell: I don’t think the kind of tired I am could be fixed by a vacation
Richardson: Everybody needs a vacation. Even us 

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