Some intriguing ideas, not fully explored

Rating: 6/10 (6 July 2011)

This feature certainly feels like it was based on a short story.
The original idea comes from the legendary pen of sci-fi author Philip K Dick. That idea is essentially that the world is shaped and directed by a group of what I would call "God's bureaucrats", who intervene with human affairs in a darkly comic, cloak and dagger 50s spy film kind of way.
We explore the idea of free will and divine intervention through the experience of one man, played by Matt Damon, as he struggles to choose his own fate, even as it clashes with The Plan of "The Chairman". (Yes folks, Frank Sinatra is running things upstairs. But I digress..)
The beautiful Emily Blunt brings charm and emotional depth to the love story, so much so that I can almost forgive its predominance over the broader sci-fi elements. She can have all the screen time she wants.
But there's not enough juice here for sci-fi heads - the mind bending ideas are not fully explored, and we're left with more questions than answers. The Bureau remains a mysterious place, reminiscent of Get Smart's CONTROL. It's an entertaining ride, and a love story with a light philosophical bent, but it's not a Philip K Dick sci-fi.