Adjust away

A relatively young New York Congressmen, David Norris (Matt Damon) is confounded by what at first appears to be a deep political conspiracy. The concept appealed to my cynical streak initially, with the most difficult thing to accept in this fantastical plot being a politician that begins to tell the truth after his failed bid for Senate. As Norris prepares to concede defeat, he meets and immediately falls in love with Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt.) This is the piecemeal of the film I suppose, a cone made of a political romantic thriller, with a large scoop of supernatural, quasi-religious intrigue filling, in case you need pigeon holes.
Far more easy to believe is the nature of the strange 1950's style private dicks, sorry “case workers,” who seem to adjust reality as they see fit for reasons that slowly become clear. The building of the quality of these strange men from the “Adjustment Bureau” is cleverly done, soon becoming apparent when Norris is abducted by them after he stumbles on a major 'adjustment.' Richardson (John Slattery,) their leader on the ground, demonstrates what the business of the Bureau is using what looks like an animated 1968 wiring diagram of a Morris Marina, but is actually “the plan,” presumably written by the “Chairman.” Dave is duly threatened that if he discusses anything he has witnessed he will be 'reset,' ('erase your ass,' sprang to mind for some reason.)

Despite the revealing nature of the Adjustment Bureau, who it would be reasonable to expect not to make mistakes (theologically speaking;) soon demonstrates that their practice of blindly following the plan is far from a fault free occupation. Hardly a shock given Dave's knack for sidestepping the case workers minor interventions that are supposed to shape the future in order to adhere to their brief, and the fact that in an earlier version of the plan Dave and Elise were in fact destined to be together. (The fact that the bureau seem to run the phone companies may have been a clue to their fallibility. Incidentally, they also communicate with nothing more sophisticated than SMS.)

Dave's dogged determination leads to an intervention by Thompson, a senior representative and troubleshooter, who rounds up the bureau's philosophy from ancient to modern times, to set a rationale that doesn't really stand up. Norris must choose to sacrifice his own political and Elise's dancing careers in order for them to be together. This is where I find the story lacking somewhat: Given the bureau's treatment of the two main characters, and Norris' inside knowledge, why would Dave believe this ultimatum. But this is not the end and the story unfolds in a rather formulaic way.
A tragic end would have been far more palatable to my mind, (but I am an abject realist;) for the greater good of the system that enforces the plan, perhaps?
But, you have to give the people what they want, I suppose.

Quality special effects with the doors and an amusing but questionable key pass system.
Nice story though, and well worth a watch.