The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Director: George Nolfi
Screenplay: George Nolfi
Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Terence Stamp

One-sentence summary: David Norris meets Elise Sellas and they feel an irresistable attraction to each other but higher powers intervene and try to keep them apart despite how "right" their budding romance feels to them.

Review: I think most of us would agree that we'd like to think our presence here means something. Whether it be to change the world or simply keep it running, we want our lives to have meaning. Some believe that our path in life is predetermined, some believe that it's entirely up to us to make our way in the world.

The Adjustment Bureau thinks we can have the best of both worlds.

The basic idea of The Adjustment Bureau is that there is the titular Adjustment Bureau that makes sure people don't deviate from the plans outlined for them by the "Chairman." They tail these individuals and, if necessary, course-correct in case any deviations occur. The main conflict of the film arises when David (Matt Damon) discovers that he was always meant to be with Elise (Emily Blunt) but then his plan changed; she was no longer a part of it. Despite that, the pull he feels towards her causes him to do whatever necessary to ensure that they can have a future together.

Matt Damon and Emily Blunt really sell you on the idea that David and Elise belong together. There's this cute chemistry when they're together that is a lot like the kind of chemistry you'd see in a good comedy movie, and it's not necessarily romantic chemistry from every angle. David and Elise are genuinely good together, even if you can't explain in concrete terms why. They just... work. It's been my experience that the really good relationships aren't always explainable. I had no problem accepting their romance.

The main reason I love the movie, however, is not because of Matt Damon and Emily Blunt (though it was hard not to be entertained when they had their cutesy moments together). It's its worldview. The movie posits the idea that from birth, everyone is set on a very specific path. Maybe it changes along the way, maybe it doesn't. Because of this path, you're given certain skills, abilities, and opportunities to ensure that you'll be successful in your endeavors. However, you still have the freedom to choose what to do with everything you've been given. We were given free will, and therefore we have the ability to exercise it. Will we follow what seems to be our preordained path, or will we forge a new path, possibly at the risk of losing what could be a very successful future?

Or is free will just an illusion and we were always meant to make the decision to deviate? Is the deviation a part of our path?

I leave it to you to answer these questions on your own.

And that's why I love the movie.

Final word: The Adjustment Bureau is an excellent film that makes you really think, and if that doesn't interest you, at least see it for the chance to see Matt Damon and Emily Blunt be really cute together.

Weekend (2011)

Weekend (2011)
Director: Andrew Haigh
Screenplay: Andrew Haigh
Starring: Tom Cullen, Chris New

One-sentence summary: Two men have a one night stand that eventually grows into more over the course of a weekend.

Review: Let me tell you a story.

Back in June, I met a guy off Grindr; we'll call him Jason. I was getting over a very bad breakup and I wasn't even sure how Jason and I would regard each other. Sure, we only wanted to be friends (and Jason needed them because he had just moved to the area), but what if feelings developed? This wouldn't be good for either of us because he was planning to leave for Japan at the beginning of October, and he would be gone for at least a year. I think it was that deadline that kept him from wanting to make really close friends with anyone while he was here.

Fast forward a couple more months. By this point, Jason had met the rest of my friends and he got along very, very well with everyone. It was almost like he had always been friends with us. Jason even met a guy he fell head over heels for! But now he had to make his final decision: stay with the people whom he began to regard as family, or leave for Japan in pursuit of his studies?

I won't tell you what decision he made. That would spoil the movie.

This story is relevant because as I watched Weekend, I realized that I was watching a version of Jason's main dilemma, with Glen (Chris New) serving as the representation of Jason. Glen thinks he's got his life all figured out until one night with Russell (Tom Cullen) makes him seriously reconsider, albeit in his own brash way, if he should just stay in England and give life there another shot. The film's protagonist is clearly Russell, so it takes a bit of extra work to figure out exactly who Glen is. I suppose that's one criticism I have of the film, though it's sort of a minor one in the long run because, as I said, Russell is the central character. If we're seeing the movie through his eyes, it only makes sense that Glen is something of an enigma.

You usually see this sort of plot play out in a fairly clichéd and predictable way in romantic comedies, so it was refreshing to see Weekend try to put a realistic spin on it. They spend a lot of time together over the weekend, and we end up learning quite a bit about each man through their conversations with each other. By the time the movie is almost over, it's not hard to believe that they both feel a very strong connection to each other. The road there isn't rainbows and puppy dogs; Russell and Glen discuss a lot of topics and get particularly serious near the end, which doesn't make for a fun watch because you're not getting any of the cute romantic comedy-type laughs that were present in small doses early on.

Weekend doesn't pull any punches when it comes to depicting sex. There weren't any flesh-colored socks on set, it seems. It would be fair to say that the movie doesn't cross the line into hardcore porn but the sex scenes are definitely more intense than you would normally see in comparison to a studio-backed picture, so be prepared to see (and hear) things that they didn't even let Brokeback Mountain depict.

The cinematography is beautiful. It switches back and forth from a cinéma vérité/mockumentary type style to static scenes where the camera sits there and we watch Russell and Glen converse for minutes at a time. I almost think Haigh went a little too far in making the movie beautiful because there are "transition" shots that, while pretty to look at, could cause a viewer to think they were unnecessary. There's virtually no score present in the film, and I applaud Haigh for making that decision because there's no reason for a score anyhow. It creates a quiet atmosphere perfect for the feel of the movie.

I actually wouldn't be surprised to learn that Tom and Chris adlibbed or improvised the occasional line.  The dialogue comes so naturally and nothing felt forced. They have fantastic chemistry together. (For the record, Tom is straight and Chris is gay.) Even the rather self-referential lines concerning creative endeavors involving gay themes, which I'm positive Haigh put in as an in-joke, fit well.

Above all, I think Weekend does something quite well: it's believable. You can believe that these two people met, and in a short span of time, formed a connection that will impact them for the rest of their lives. I've known Jason for only four months, but I know--I feel--that he will remain one of my closest friends for the rest of my life. Sometimes you meet people and they affect you in such a way that they become a part of you no matter how little you know them. That's when you know it's right.

Final word: I'd buy it on DVD/Blu-ray but it might be a film I revisit sparingly only because it's not really a fun watch.