2011 has been a banner year for the movie industry. The summer box office is hotter than ever with titles like “Transformers 3,” “The Hangover 2,” “Harry Potter,” etc. But the best movie so far in 2011 is one that you may not have seen. “The Adjustment Bureau” with Matt Damon.
This movie is not your typical Matt Damon spy slash military thriller. It is much more. It’s a cross between “The Bourne Identity,” “Inception,” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” Damon plays David Norris, a U.S. Congressman whose chance meeting with Emily Blunt, played by Elise Sellas, throws his character into a world that isn’t what it appears to be.
Throughout the film, the congressman tries to find what he thinks is the love of his life. He is fought every step of the way by an underground cloak and dagger type society. Imagine being in a world that is not bound by free will, but by predetermined paths. Worse yet these paths are strictly enforced by this mysterious group of individuals deemed “Angels.”
The film brushes aside the outward appearance of an action thriller and tackles a major religious theme, whether “God” has a plan for us or we hold our own destiny. In the final scene, after fighting to be together, despite all that has been put in their way, the couple meets the “God” character, the “Chairman.” Because of all the devotion they have shown towards each other, they are allowed to live the rest of their lives by their own free will. This was captured dramatically by the blank page that was shown to them.
“The Adjustment Bureau” is the best film of 2011 not because of thrilling chase scenes, explosions, or violence. It is the best film because it teaches us a lesson about our humanity. The greatest gift that we have is our free will. What we do with that gift is most important.