Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

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• The Labyrinth of Doors: Interactive Map of New York (33:57)

Becoming Elise (7:08)

Second disc DVD/Digital Copy

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Description: Academy AwardŽ nominee Matt Damon (The Bourne trilogy) stars in this action thriller about a man who glimpses the future Fate has planned for him – and chooses to fight for his own destiny. Battling the powerful Adjustment Bureau across under and through the streets of New York he risks his destined greatness to be with the only woman he's ever loved (Emily Blunt: The Young Victoria, The Devil Wears Prada). Based on a story by the legendary Philip K. Dick (Total Recall, Minority Report and Blade Runner).

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On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris meets beautiful contemporary ballet... dancer Elise Sellas--a woman like none he's ever known. But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of Fate itself--the men of The Adjustment Bureau--who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path...or risk everything to defy Fate and be with her.

 

 

The Film:

The themes of screenwriter George Nolfi’s first feature film as director will delight philosophers. Does free will exist, or are we travelling along pre-determined paths — and if so, who determines them, and to what extent? Where does chance end and design begin? Can we fight Fate? Luckily for us, Nolfi’s execution will excite everyone else, for this metaphysical love story/thriller manages the very difficult trick of remaining intriguingly intelligent while unfailingly placing entertainment well ahead of explanation.

Excerpt from Empire Online located HERE

“Who is George Nolfi?” a colleague whispered when the final credits began to roll for “The Adjustment Bureau,” a fast, sure film about finding and keeping love across time and space. Good question. If the fates allow — or perhaps, as in this very enjoyable movie, the men in gray suits and fedoras permit and “things go according to plan” — you should be hearing more from Mr. Nolfi, a screenwriter turned director who has brightened the season with a witty mix of science-fiction metaphysics and old-fashioned fluttery romance.

Excerpt from Manohla Dargis at the NY Times located HERE

Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

The Adjustment Bureau looks extremely competently transferred on Blu-ray from Universal who, strangely, are using the VC-1 encode rather than AVC. The 1.85:1 image quality shows some subtle grain. It isn't really as sharp as one might expect but this may have been the way it was shot. Colors, contrast and depth are at a high level though. It has a film-like thickness that benefits the image. There is a shade of noise in the darker scenes but it was never an issue for normal viewing purposes. Overall this looks very good - but not at the most dynamic visuals I have seen. I expect that this Blu-ray is a strong representation of the theatrical producing a pleasing presentation.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The DTS-HD Master 5.1 track at 3891 kbps is excellent. The film sneaks in some aggressive bass with a suspenseful original score by Thomas Newman (Revolutionary Road, WALLˇE, Little Children). There isn't an abundance of special effect but there are some subtleties (rain, crowds etc.) that make their way to the rear speakers. This track has appeal supporting the film experience very well. There are optional subtitles and my Momitsu has identified it as being a region FREE disc playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

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BOTTOM LINE:
I enjoyed The Adjustment Bureau and actually watched it a second time with my wife where I ended up liking it even more. Viewers will have to 'get over' some of the details of the plot which can seem silly but they are really allegorical - representing fate, chance and coincidence and how it plays such a defining role in our lives. These themes run heavily in Keislowski's cinema and while The Adjustment Bureau requires some suspension of disbelief for key sci-fi plot points - once those are circumvented - it's a wonderful, old-fashioned film experience. The Blu-ray is not demo but gave me an excellent presentation and along with the solid extras - it is a package that we can whole-heartedly recommend! 

Gary Tooze

June 14th, 2011