Philosophical thriller

Rating: 8/10 (18 September 2011)

Movies that sticks with you and makes you think for a while is always good, no matter what they are about really. The Adjustment Bureau raises the topic of fate and free will, with agents hidden among us, stealthily nudging us in the right direction so everything goes according to the Plan. The movie is about David Norris a congressman running for Senate that by chance runs into Elise, a promising dancer. They click, but they being together does not agree with the Plan, so the agents are sent in to correct it. But love fights everything, and David can't let Elise go, hard as he tries. Finally he decides to put everything at risk and challenge the Plan, just to be with Elise.
The Adjustment Bureau is a thriller with a philosophical edge. Do we really have free will, or are we constantly adjusted? If it goes as in the movie, most of us will never know, and therein lies the thrill. It poses a lot of "What If?"-questions that stuck with me at least. So even though when neither Damon or Blunt was at their best, the plot rescued the movie. Originally a Phillip K Dick idea, it is strong and vivid, as many movies based on Dick's stories has proved to be. The best acting is instead made by the agents, especially Anthony Mackie as Harry, but also John Slattery and Terence Stamp.
I really liked the movie. Not for the action, not for the acting, but for the bright and inventive idea that is the basis for the plot. Exciting and entertaining through and through.
8/10