The Adjustment Bureau

Predestination or Freewill
The Adjustment Bureau, PG-13, ***1/2, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Michael Kelly, Terence Stamp. Director George Nolifi. Universal film. Length: 105 minutes.

David Morris (Matt Damon) lives in New York and is running for a Senate seat. He has some issues in his past that seem to surface at the wrong time. From bar room brawls to pranks, he has a mischievous background. However, he is intelligent and has a good heart.
Fortunately, another event in Morris’ past arrives at the wrong time. He wants to be alone to write a speech to his supporters. While in the men’s bathroom at the Waldorf hotel, he begins to work on his speech. He thinks he is the only person in the bathroom.
Surprisingly Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) is hiding in one of the stalls. She has a reason to be hiding, but she does not let Morris know she is there right away. When she walks out an instant charisma between the two occurs. They are both enchanted with each other. In fact, she inspires him to give a speech that is honest and on target in all political aspects.
Politics and all of its devious hype are exposed in his speech. Awe the psychology of politics. This goes over really well with his supporters. Not since the film “Power” starring Richard Gere, Julie Christie, and Gene Hackman has politics taken this kind of honest turn.
Exposing the superficial ways campaigns are handled to bring voters over to their side hits at the heart of the public. Much of what goes on does not have anything to do with political views. This happens at the beginning of the film while “Power” saved the honesty to the ending.
This movie is about Predestination. A group of individuals monitor everyone on the planet to be sure the pre in destiny is fulfilled.
With this said, we must take the road less traveled. A mysterious group of people known as “The Adjustment Bureau” surface in order to bring the predestination back into perspective and be sure the future is preserved and everything goes as planned. They will take harsh methods to assure nothing is changed in the overall scheme of destiny.
I do not know much about Primitive Baptist. However, I have been told that they believe in Predestination. This is not a negative statement about Primitive Baptist. It is just simply an observation, so do not take this the wrong way.
Even though these strangers in the Bureau do not reveal exactly who they are, the whole premise of the plot revolves around the fact if something goes wrong in the journey of a person’s life; an adjustment must be made in order to put everything back in perspective. We never find out a great deal about who these Bureau agents are. However, they monitor things very well. They have a semi-mini I-Pad device that tracks what is going on with Morris and Sellas.
They know that Morris and Sellas must not be together. The predestined plans have other roads for these two individuals to travel. Of course the other destinations are full of power and wealth. The best parts of the movie occur when Morris and Sellas are together. They really have magnetism in every scene they inhabit.
The independent spirit is always an interesting concept. When individuals try to defy the rules of life that others expect from them, we generally support them. How does someone know in their hearts what to do? Well, that comes from the connection we make with others and inside our own minds.
“The Adjustment Bureau” is not a great movie, but it is an enjoyable romp through some interesting, difficult, and tense moments. Life is not how much money we make or prestige we accumulate. It is about happiness, love, and helping others along the way no matter their age or status. I recommend it.