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When a movie is just kooky enough to based a story line on 3 chance encounters in New York City, then you know you have one of two choices: Believe or not. But we have come to believe that pretty

When a movie is just kooky enough to base a story line on 3 chance encounters in New York City, then you know you have one of two choices: Believe or not. But we have come to believe that pretty much anything is possible in Manhattan, so at least the setting is perfect. But having lived in NYC for a reasonably long time, I can say that I have run into somebody I knew exactly once. But I walk fast…and maybe I am not paying enough attention.
 
Favorite Brooklyn son and young Congressman David Norris (a very engaging Matt Damon) is definitely paying attention when, while practicing a Senate race concession speech in a hotel bathroom, he has a chance encounter with the bewitching Elise (Emily Blunt).  But not everyone is charmed.  Meeting lovely Elise becomes the worst nightmare of the guys with the hats (more on this later).  While the lonely and orphaned Congressman may have unfairly lost the Senate seat he so coveted, running into Elise a second time is enough to bring his mojo back.  But the possibility of this relationship simply isn’t in the plans…or not according to the funny men with hats, who are ‘the people who make sure things happen according to plan.’ But wait, there is more…., when he walks into the ‘intervention team’ led by Mad Men’s John Slattery, the team decides that its time to crank up the volume and bring in the hammer. Since Terrence Stamp gets to play ‘the hammer’, I know this will be interesting.
 
After a few chases that would have killed a mere mortal, the men in hats reveal themselves to be a peculiar bunch.  If you are religious, they can be angels, if you are not, they are dedicated caseworkers…and either way, they have a very specific agenda: since humanity cannot be trusted, they have come up with a plan for everyone.  But since working for the ‘Chairman’ is not the same as being the ‘Chairman,’ these dudes have a few flaws: they have trouble with improvisation, cannot read minds and lose key abilities if their hats come off and rain just throws their game off… But oh…I would trade all my limited abilities to be able to do the door trick! That one is a keeper!
 
MORE OF ‘THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU’ REVIEW ON THE NEXT PAGE!

 

 

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You still with me?  There is more to come…portals, funky notebooks with moving lines a la Google Maps, but which point to your destiny (now, that’s an app I would pay a fortune to download!)  Be patient with this crowded story because our lovely couple will hook you. They have a chemistry that burns up the screen and makes it pretty easy to believe all the trouble that Norris goes through for a chance to be with Elise. Damon has become one of the most watchable and engaging actors around…and it’s really a tribute to his star power and appeal that we are willing to go along with this quasi-delirious ride.
 
So with the threat of being ‘recalibrated,’ which is something along the lines of reimaging your mainframe—which trust me is a bad thing, Matt is informed that he is not to pursue Elise. The brightest political future awaits him and Elise could could throw his entire destiny and both their fortunes off course…in a bad bad way. But when there is true love….everything is possible, right?
 
First time director George Nolfi (Bourne Ultimatum is among his screenwriting credits) seems to have impressed the heck out of Damon when they worked together with the BU franchise, and rightfully so. Under Nolfi’s helm, a poten