By Rob Howell
Lambda Film Critic

Bringing the viewer questions about God, free will, and a possible answer to why Fedoras are trendy, The Adjustment Bureau is Hollywood’s third adaptation of the works of Phillip K. Dick, and, once again, we get a great piece of cinema.

Bureau is the story of David Norris (Matt Damon), a hopeful for the US Senate, who, after having a chance meeting with local dancer Elise (Emily Blunt), goes off of his predestined “plan” which leaves him a target for the Adjustment Bureau, a shadowy group of fedora clad men who can travel anywhere, and can slightly adjust reality itself.

Expertly acted, the entire cast is spot on, a real standout being Terrence Stamp as Thompson, a senior member of the Bureau. He not only appears as both a knowledgeable man who can get the job done, but he’s perfect at expressing the objective thoughts of his character, something he seemed to struggle with in his role in last year’s forgettable Ultramarines: The Movie.

The movie handles the religious overtones of its subject matter quite well, questioning not only what reality and free will are, but also leaving very interesting insights on the idea of a world with an absent or possibly dead God, though it also leaves room for interpretation, as some see it as a very metaphorical Christian film as well.

There is a lot of room for comparison to last year’s blockbuster Inception. But where Inception went directly for obscure and confusing answers to slightly pretentious and abstract questions, Bureau looks for simple and direct answers to simple but intelligent questions.

It is an excellent way of describing the film: simple, direct, and intelligent.

The Adjustment Bureau is a must-see. It works as a thinking movie, a date movie, and even a light action movie. Its one of those films that’s available to everyone with excellent room for conversation afterward.

Click here for The Adjustment Bureau show times.

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