6:33 PM
David Weaver
THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU
Blu-ray/DVD Release Date: June, 21 2011
I think I have come to appreciate this movie a lot more in hindsight. Partly due to it just clicking with me better upon a second viewing but mostly due to all the other films that have come out since it was released. There is just so little imagination out there anymore (granted, this is a loose adaptation of a book) and this film just feels so fresh and alive compared to most everything else I have seen in the past few months. It's mish mash of genres coupled with two fantastic lead actors prove that being unconventional is sometimes the perfect medicine for those re-hash blues.
Review Vital Stats:
Format: Blu-ray
Player: LG Model 370
Monitor: Samsung 40' LCD Series 5
Picture Quality: 1080p
Sound Quality: True HD - English
Excerpt from my original theatrical review:
First time Director George Nolfi has got all the pieces here to make a fantastic film. Having Matt Damon as your star is always a plus but never a guarantee of success regardless of how well made the film may be, see Green Zone. Then he had the wise foresight to bring the undeniably beautiful and talented Emily Blunt into the mix whom I predict is only going to become more in demand by each passing day. And having a strong supporting cast to back them up with the likes of Michael Kelly, John Slattery and the always engaging Terence Stamp was like icing on the cake. As if that weren't enough they were all playing in a film based off a short story by one of the greatest Science-Fiction authors of all time, Philip K. Dick. Everything was in place to give us a truly unique experience but as the saying goings, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch".
Read the full review here.
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What's on the disc?
The phrase less is more comes to mind when watching this set of extras. While it doesn't seem like much when broken down, the content of mostly everything included here is worthwhile and informative. The audio commentary fills in many of the gaps if you are curious about how first time director George Nolfi tackled the material. The few behind the scenes features give some good insight into things that (if you liked the film) you would actually want to know more about and there are some pretty solid yet brief interviews with the two lead actors on their feelings towards the film. All in all this is a respectable set of extra features that compliment the film well.
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Feature Commentary (34:13 min) HD - Director George Nolfi helms this track as he guides us through his interpretation of how the film plays out. While he does get a little to narrative as opposed to informative some times he still displays real adoration towards his and the rest of the crew's work on the film. A good a pleasant listen that any fan of the film should enjoy.
Deleted and Extended Scenes HD - This set of 6 deleted/extended scenes are not really too significant and it is easy to see why they were removed. Probably the only one real bit of information we get from these is a character (Henderson) that apparently showed up in a couple of scenes who was completely cut out of the film played by Lost alumi Daniel Dae-Kim who doesn't even show up in the cast credits on IMDB.
"Henderson Patronizes Richardson" - (:46) A scene with the two characters not being very kind to each other.
"David And Charlie In The Car" - (:37) This scene is with the two friends just after David leaves Elise for the third time.
"Henderson Offering Help" (:28) A very quick snippet with the Henderson character showing up and sort of making fun of Richardson again.
"Additional Thompson Dialogue" (1:26) Extended scene during the first time David meets Thompson.
"Extended Cedar Lake Dancing" (2:24) Exactly what you would think, lots of dancing.
"Thompson Tells David to Walk Away" (:59) Thompson talks to David outside the hospital just after Elise's accident.
The Labyrinth of Doors: Interactive Map of New York HD - Probably my least favorite feature on the entire disc. This is an interactive game of sorts that lets you navigate the doors used in the finale of the film. At each location you will see one of two options, either play the clip related to the location or play a behind the scenes snippet. This feature is just too laborious for how little you get out of it.
Leaping Through New York (7:36 min) HD - A much better look at how the incredible final act was accomplished. I really enjoyed this one and thought it shed some much needed light on how all the effects with the doors were achieved.
Destined To Be (4:51 min) HD - The two lead actors, Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, share their thoughts on each other as actors and their characters as well as the meaning behind the film, fate.
Becoming Elise (7:08 min) HD - I was already a huge fan of Emily Blunt but this feature sealed the deal for me. We get a look into how and why she was cast in the role, the ordeal she went through to be able to portray a real dancer and how bad she really wanted the part. She comes across as being a very likable person who hasn't been corrupted by the power of Hollywood yet.
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Final Verdict:
The more I think about the movie the more I like it. I think as time goes on and I watch it more I will only learn to love it even more. I have always been a big fan of Matt Damon and Emily Blunt but they both hit it out of the park in what can only be described as one of the most unconventional romances in recent memory. The supporting cast is top notch and the fact that the entire film was done on location in New York city only makes it feel that much more special. Both the audio and visuals on the Blu-ray are stellar and the special features give some good insight into the production of the film. If you are a fan of the actors and want something a little different to help get you through a summer plagued with unoriginal (although entertaining) film fare then this should do nicely.
Movie - A-
Video - A
Audio - A
Extras - B+
BUY IT IMMEDIATELY
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