The Adjustment Bureau DVD review

It's Tuesday, and if you're a movie fan like me, you're probably going to head to your local electronic store and pick up a movie or two.  Today, the new release is The Adjustment Bureau, starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, directed by George Nolfi.  The movie is about choosing your own destiny, even as others try to stand in your way.

Matt Damon is an up and coming politician, he meets Emily Blunt's character by chance and it threatens to redirect his future.  The adjustment bureau steps in to keep the two apart to ensure Damon's future is what they want it to be.  It's the battle of free will against destiny.  Let's get right in to the likes and dislikes.

What I liked about the movie:
The Actors

Matt Damon is, and has been considered a great talent in Hollywood for years now.  He is versatile and dynamic, he can do it all.  Emily Blunt is also a respected actor in Hollywood.  I really enjoy her work anytime I see her in something.  The two have a great chemistry together.  As an audience, we can easily see why the two characters are attracted to each other.

There is enough to make the audience believe the two should stick together while eluding the adjustment bureau. 

The Premise
I enjoyed the idea that a bureau of men wanted to change the course of Damon's life.  It was interesting to see how they could bend the rules if you will, to make Damon stay the course they wanted him to.  The premise is one thing, unfortunately, the execution is far off.  I'm not really sure how the movie scored a 70+% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but it did.  Let me begin my list of dislikes. 


What I didn't like about the movie:
The Adjustment Bureau staff

They're mobsters?  No wait, Government agents?  Angles perhaps (more on that later)?  Who are these annoy ass guys that can't catch a politician and his girlfriend in a foot race.  My main problem is they never really came off like a threat.  I was thinking to myself, I would do whatever I want in that situation and not listen to them.  There was nothing to fear.


The Religious Implications

I don't consider myself a religious man by any means, nor do I balk at a movies with religious themes; but this movie was just too much.  It was a mess.  The script intended on giving winks about the implications, but it just becomes so blatantly obvious what they're trying to reference, it has no payoff.  I disliked all of it; the destiny, the people-angels reference, all that nonsense.

The Doors

I seriously thought I was watching a live-action Monsters Inc.  The doors are a huge part of the film.  I don't want to give away any spoilers, but the doors are used to basically teleport the main characters from one place to another.  The heroes use the doors in their plot against the adjustment bureau.  The storyline doesn't work at all.  Visually, they pulled off the effect, but it just about ends there. 


The Verdict:
Watch Monsters Inc. or Serendipity instead

Exactly what the title says.  Monsters Inc. uses the "door trick" in a much more creative way than this film does.  Monsters Inc. was an animated film, fine, but it was a lot more creative than this trip to church.  I'd much rather have put my DVD of Monsters Inc. in than The Adjustment Bureau.  Just saying.

And if you want to ditch the "thriller" aspect of facing destiny, and turn it in for a romantic comedy version instead, rent Serendipity.  It stars John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale as a couple that are destined to be together.  It's much better than this film.  Trust me.


The Blu-ray/DVD combo:
Fans of the movie will love it
If you liked the film, you'll like the features.  Here is a list from Bluray.com:

• Feature Commentary by Writer-Director George Nolfi. This is a somewhat haltingly delivered, but overall interesting, commentary that gives a goodly amount of background information on adapting the Dick story as well as the filming, including the rigors of all the location work in New York City.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (HD; 6:54). Seven scenes are included, several with a supposedly comic Adjustment Bureau character named Henderson who was completely cut out of the final film.
• Labyrinth of Doors (HD; 33:57 total). This interesting but cumbersome supplement starts with a Google Earth map of Manhattan, with several Adjustment Bureau doors highlighted. Clicking on any door then zooms to a close-up of that location, with a "wormhole" option that takes you to another (often far flung) door, or allows you to view either a film clip or a behind the scenes segment associated with that location.
• Leaping Through New York (1080i; 7:36) is a nice featurette dealing with the location shooting in The Big Apple.
• Destined to Be (1080i; 4:51) has Damon and Blunt talking about their characters and the film's central love story.
• Becoming Elise (1080i; 7:08) should appeal to those who wonder if Blunt had any dancing experience before she took on this role.
• DVD Copy, Dbox and BD Live Enabled

I don't know what else to say really.  I didn't like the film (that's MY free will at work), and I'm willing to discuss it with anyone who did.  Let me know what you thought of the film?

For fun, just to make me smile

Casting rumors for the fourth 'Bourne' film

I know I have already talked about this before, but a fourth 'Bourne' movie without Matt Damon is very real.  There's a long list of rumored actors (about 8-10).  But three names keep coming up across the internet-sphere.  /slashfilm mentions three big names in the running.  Let's look at them now:

Jake Gyllenhaal:

Hmm, I'm conflicted.  I don't like his acting whatsoever, I've pretty much hated him in everything I've seen, except Prince of Persia.  That's why I'm conflicted.  The 'Bourne' films need a good dramatic actor ala Matt Damon.  We need to see his confusion, his desperation.  BUT, Bourne may not even be the main character.  The sequel has only promised to be in the same world as Jason Bourne.  So maybe Gyllenhaal could pull it off?

Tobey Maguire:

He could totally be Gyllenhaal's twin

My absolute favorite of the trio here.  I feel like he needs to do something to shed that goody goody Peter Parker persona.  This film/franchise could do just the trick!  He has the dramatic chops, we've seen it.  He has the action background of the Spider-Man franchise, he is a real talent.  His body may not fit the world the way Damon's did, but he could make it work.





Garrett Hedlund:

Why?  Why am I even writing about this guy?  He totally stunk up the screen in Tron: Legacy and I hated every aspect of his acting in that film.  Why would I want to see him replace one of the greatest actors of my generation (Damon) in one of the most critically acclaimed action trilogies in history?  The answer is I don't want to see him get the role, period.

It's my opinion, you're on my blog so you obviously care, or you're just curious.  Feel free to drink some Haterade in the comments.  Who of these three should get the role?  Or maybe it's not any of these three, what do you think?

Click the jump for a little extra. (SOILER ALERT TO BOURNE ULTIMATUM)

You know who they should bring back, Édgar Ramírez!  His character of Paz in The Bourne Ultimatum was incredible!  He demanded our attention on the screen and held is own against Damon.  SPOILER ALERT:  Jason Bourne doesn't kill Paz in the film, he spares his life.  So why not continue the franchise with a revenge-filled Paz seeking to clear his name and start a new life?  The producers can leave the door open for Damon to return to the franchise, and fulfill their wish of staying within the confines of the 'Bourne' world.  What do you think?

Tony: "True Grit" Review

To check out Matt's review of the film, click here. Now, I haven't read Matt's review because I've been looking forward to this movie since I first saw the trailer. It's brought to you by the brilliant Coen brothers, Joel & Ethan. The pair won director Oscars for No Country For Old Men, which also took home the Best Picture Oscar. Now comes True Grit, a good old fashioned western. The movie stars Hailee Steinfeld, the 14 years actress getting a lot of attention. She hires Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon to track down the man who killed her father. The killer is played by Josh Brolin. Read my likes and dislikes after the jump!

What I liked about the movie:
The Story

Sometimes, the best stories, are the most simple. I always believed the best stories could be summarized in a sentence or two... 'A young girls hires two law men to help avenge the death of her father'. Brilliant! The movie dives deep into each character's motives. The script was also written by the Coen brothers, so the fact that character development was important does not surprise me. They're just as good, if not better writers as they are directors. The story is simple and easy to follow.

If there is any action, its to compliment the story, nothing more. The narrative is carefully constructed as to not give anything away and sets a nice pace for the movie.

The Acting

Oh wow. Now, I haven't seen Colin Firth in The King's Speech yet, but Jeff Bridges is damn good in this one. We all know he won his first Oscar last year for Crazy Hearts, he may follow in Tom Hank's footsteps and win back-to-back Oscars. Bridges totally embodies this alcoholic mess of a U.S. Marshall. There is a court room scene that will blow your mind. He's amazing.

Matt Damon plays a Texas Ranger who was already on the hunt for, and knows everything there is to know about Josh Brolin's character. Damon is quick and witty in this one. Going toe to toe with Bridges. They have some hilarious scenes together where they're arguing.

Last but certainly not least is the actress getting a LOT of attention. Miss Hailee Steinfeld knocks it out of the park with her performance in the film. She has some of the most emotional scenes and most difficult dialogue in the movie. You seriously forget the girl was born in 1996! If you watch the movie, enjoy the negotiating scene with miss Steinfeld, amazing young actress.

Another notable performance is by Barry Pepper, who I believe is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. The man has turned in consistently good work, but just doesn't have the face of A-lister I suppose. I don't know what the reason, but he's so good in this film. It's a small role that could have EASILY been ignored by a different actor. Pepper does not disappoint. Kudos to the Coens for casting him. I bet the studios has their own actor in mind for the part.

The Direction

I am not as big a fan of Coens as Matt is, but I do respect them tremendously. They've found their own style of film making that no one can touch. The cinematography was spectacular; it gave the settings the scale needed for the story. The sets were realistic; the brothers helped create a fully functioning town that only helped enhance the film. The score was fitting and never tried to take over the story or the characters. The editing was perfect and fit every scene accordingly. The list could go on and on. They just did everything right!


What I didn't like about the film:
Oh! There he is!
This is a minor complaint amongst all the great aspects of the film. I hate when any movie does this, so I have to gripe about it here. I don't like when a character, good or bad, so conveniently reappears during a crucial moment in the film. That happens in this film and its forgivable.


The movie is amongst the best I've seen in a long long time. I'm really not doing it justice with this review, but it's the best I got. I hope Jeff Bridges does win his second Oscar and hopefully Steinfeld or Damon get recognized by the Academy as well. Two big thumbs up here! The Coen brothers are in true form with True Grit!

FattMatt: "True Grit" Review

31 years after the original True Grit, the Coen Brothers decide to put out a remake with the same name. Well, its not really a remake. The new film is based on the same novel that the older film is also based on, True Grit by Charles Portis. That's the reason that I didn't bother watching the original film yet before writing this review.

The story centers around Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old girl who is out to find Tom Chaney, the man that murdered her father, and bring him to justice. To help her, she enlists U.S. Marshall 'Rooster' Cogburn, an old, one-eyed drunk that she has heard is the best man for the job. A man that has true grit.
Let's dig in.


What I liked about the film:
The Acting
14-year-old actress Hailee Steinfeld is just great in this film. She stars as Mattie Ross, a character who is also only 14 years old, but is quite mature for her age. She takes on the task of hiring a U.S. Marshall to hunt down the man who killed her father because her mother is basically too much of a girl to do it. Mattie is independent and smart, and can hold a conversation like a grown woman.
I haven't seen Steinfeld act in anything before, but I think she was just right in this role. I can't wait to see what types of projects will be thrown at her from now on.

Jeff Bridges takes on the role of U.S. Marshall Reuben J. 'Rooster' Cogburn. He's a drunk and only has one good eye, wearing an eye patch over the other. He's the one man that Mattie has heard has 'true grit,' and so gets hired for the job.
Bridges does a fantastic job in this role. I think he was just perfect and I can't wait to compare him to John Wayne, who played Rooster in the older film and won his only acting Oscar for it. Bridges really shows us why he has that Oscar, perfectly spitting out that one-liner to get a laugh at just the right tone, and showing us his talent when it comes to darker situations. The man reminds me of Al Pacino in that he can act without saying a word, just using his eyes, or, eye in this case.

Matt Damon does a fine job in the role of LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger who's been pursuing Tom Chaney for months for the murder of a senator. I have a little problem with Matt Damon trying to look older by just wearing a mustache, (I also have the same problem with Leo DiCaprio and Matt Broderick). I think Damon's talent, however, eventually makes me forget what he looks like. He really pulls me into the character later on in the film when he has to talk with a lisp for reasons I won't spoil here. Great job.

Josh Brolin has a much smaller role in the film than I imagined he would, playing the murderous Tom Chaney that everyone is after. He does a fine job, along with Barry Pepper as Lucky Ned, the head of the gang that Chaney ties in with.

The Story
The story is just awesome. I love revenge stories, and this is a great one. It's also just a straight forward Western, which I think is quite unusual of the Coens, who usually tend to experiment a bit more with their films. Although seeing as how they wanted to stick very close to the novel, it's a very tight story that plays out like a good book. Great adaptation.

The Cinematography
Roger Deakins has been with the Coens for most of their films, and once again does a fantastic job portraying the old west, at a few times reminding me of Rio Bravo and other classics. Overall, this is a beautiful movie with perfect shots and gorgeous scenes.

The Soundtrack
The music in the film is done by Carter Burwell, another long-time Coens collaborator. It is based on 19th century church hymns. Typical of the Coens, it wasn't used over-abundantly, but rather just at a few places to emphasize the situation. It sounded strong and hard, not uplifting, but also not sad or depressing.

Now that I've listed all my positives for the movie, I'm going to tell you that I really didn't have any strong dislikes!
The only thing I had trouble with every now-and-then was the editing. It felt forced at some points and didn't really flow well. But only at a few points. Most of the film was fine.


Overall, this film was fantastic. Now, I love the Coens and have seen every one of their films. So it's true that I might have a little bias when it comes to watching this film, but let me just say that it was not exactly what I had thought it would be.
It is very unlike their films in many ways, yet it still felt like a Coens film. Although it has some severe and violent moments, it's not a severe or violent film. It doesn't feel like you're watching a Coen Brothers film until it ends and you reflect upon it. It's hard to explain it. You'll just have to see it for yourself.

"Mission: Impossible" without Tom Cruise and a "Bourne" Film without Matt Damon?

Ok so we know Mission: Impossible 4 is filming right now. We also know it co-stars Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner. But what we didn't know was that the studio wants to continue the franchise without Cruise. Crazy thought considering Cruise has been the face of the franchise for the better part of 15 years. So Jeremy Renner is going to carry the franchise?

I don't know. I'm scared to say "he can't do it", then he turns out to be the next Matt Damon/bad ass (more on him later). I also don't want to say "that's a great idea" because Renner is yet to carry a film on his own. His biggest part obviously came in The Hurt Locker, but he wasn't the main attraction there. Here's what Renner had to say about the rumor that he's taking over the franchise:

It’s a franchise to potentially take over… I can’t predict the future and what they want, but that’s certainly the idea.

Sounds like he's pretty confident what's set to occur. I'll hold judgment until after I see Renner in M:I 4. Now, the other franchise losing it's main actor... 'The Bourne' franchise. I hate to admit it, but I just wrapped up the trilogy the other day after watching The Bourne Ultimatum. Wow, it's freakin' awesome. It is so good, so well directed, so well acted, I was blown away. It was a fitting end to Damon's take on the man rediscovering his past. But the film makers kept it open fore more chapters in the saga.

Now it's been confirmed that not only is director of parts 2 and 3, Paul Greengrass, leaving the franchise, so too is Matt Damon. And we also know that the studio has started pre-production on a fourth film. It's not a re-boot per say because the are not recasting the Jason Bourne character. They're launching a new franchise with a new lead actor. Why? The hell for?

I mean the studios are so greedy it has come to this? The director and actor don't want to continue so we'll just swap them out for someone else. I understand the studios want to profit off of a hot property, but come-on! At least go a few more years before starting another franchise and let people forget the past incarnation. I hate that both franchises are losing their stars, how about you?

Coen Brothers Film "True Grit" Gets Posterized with a Trailer

FattMatt and I are huge fans of Joel & Ethan Coen. The men are brilliant in every sense of the word. Their ability of storytelling has been recognized time and time again, culminating with an Oscar win for No Country for Old Men a few years ago. True Grit is their latest, an adaptation of a novel by the same name. The brothers wrote and directed the film set to be released December 22nd. It stars last year's Oscar winner for Best Actor, Jeff Bridges. Also stars 2-time Oscar Nominee, Matt Damon. And returning to work with the Coen brothers, Josh Brolin, also an Oscar Nominee. Bridges also worked with the 'Brothers' on The Big Lebowski.

The movie also stars Barry Pepper (very underrated actor) and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. It tells the story of a U.S. Marshal (Bridges) tracking down the man who murdered Steinfeld's father. The murderer is played by Brolin. Bridges and Steinfeld are accompanied by Matt Damon who plays a Texas Ranger. It follows the three on their quest for 'retribution'. Click the jump to see the trailer and read my thoughts.

Ho-ly wow. Ho-ly mother or wow. I mean I loved No Country..., but this is just ridiculous! I clapped, I cheered every one-liner Bridges had and was curious about Brolin and Damon's characters. Now, hot damn that's a good trailer. So can Hollywood still produce great westerns? I say yes! Your thoughts?

You know what's a good movie? (Part 6)

Part 1: Forrest Gump

Connection: Tom Hanks

Part 2: Toy Story

Connection: Pixar

Part 3: The Incredibles

Connection: Superhero Films

Part 4: Batman (1989)

Connection: Jack Nicholson

Part 5: The Departed

Connection: Matt Damon

Part 6: Good Will Hunting

When talking about Hollywood pairs, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are as obvious a pair as it gets.  The two childhood friends wrote a script, waiting year after year for the right moment, and that moment came in 1997.  Capped with an Academy Award for "Best ORIGINAL Screenplay".  The two men were 27 years old, and thrust into the Hollywood spotlight.

Good Will Hunting focuses on Matt Damon's character, Will.  Will is an underachiever, working as a janitor at a college.  At the college, Professor Lambeau wants to challenge his students.  He writes down partially completed math problems on a chalk board outside the classroom, in hopes one of his students will be able to solve them.  The professor is played by Stellan Skarsgard, terrifically played by Skarsgard!  We quickly find out, Will is a mathematical genius solving the problems on the board during his night shift at the college.  After a series of events, Will must work with Professor Lambeau AND see a therapist to stay out of jail.

Will does whatever it takes to avoid talking about his problems.  So one therapist after the other gives up on him, and refuses to take him as their patient.  Until Professor Lambeau calls upon Robin William's character, Sean, the two were college roommates.  This is where the meat of the story begins.

Williams plays a widower that is content with the way his life has played out.  He's a soft spoken man, very contrary to the Professor.  He sees Will as a tormented soul, not just a math prodigy.  It takes a long time for Sean to get Will to talk, but when they finally begin to do so, they see they're a lot more alike than either had expected.  Through their sessions, we discover that Will was abused as a child, physically and emotionally.  His only escape was being with his friends.

His friends consist of Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck and Cole Hauser.  We see the lifelong friendship the foursome have created.  The comedy in the movie comes while the four are just simply sitting around telling stories.  There is a line during these scenes that is pure comedy "How you like them Apples?" is truly epic! The scenes between the friends seem so organic, and how couldn't they be?  We know three of the four grew up together.  That organic feel was absolutely necessary in developing the characters.

Will's love interest is played by Minnie Driver, who does a magnificent job, and was rewarded with an Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actress", she plays Skylar.  The relationship between Will and Skylar grows throughout the movie, but Will is still stand offish.  He wont let her in.  Skylar is a hard working student with aspirations that Will just can't relate to.  In a critical scene in the movie, Skylar asks Will to follow her to Stanford for her next school.  The thought of another person abandoning him is too much for Will to handle, and he explodes in a fit or rage.  The scene is very well done and crucial to understanding why Will is as tormented as he is.

As the movie proceeds, Will and Sean's therapy sessions dive deeper and deeper into Will's psyche.  What this young man, Will, has been through, must have been unbelievably difficult.  Approaching the end of the movie, Will inches towards a breakthrough in therapy.  When the breakthrough occurs, it's amazing.  I personally think this specific scene is what garnered Robin Williams an Academy Award win for "Best Supporting Actor" and a nomination for Matt Damon for "Best Actor". 

The movie was directed by Gus Van Sant who had a very difficult task.  There were so many layers to every character; all of which needed ample screen time to develop.  We've seen many movies, this year alone, that had too many characters for their own good (i.e. Valentine's Day, Iron Man 2).  But Van Sant is like the conductor of a symphony, and what a symphony it is.  The way he peels away layer after layer off all the major characters is beautiful.  The tone, pacing, editing and music to the movie are perfect.  Speaking of which, the movie was nominated for "Best Film Editing", "Best Music, Original Dramatic Score", "Best Music, Original Song", "Best Director" for Van Sant and last, but not least, "Best Picture" of the year.

What I love more than the art that was created, was the way the art was created.  The movie is brilliant in my eyes.  But the way Matt Damon and Ben Affleck followed their dreams and became Oscar winning writers and two of Hollywood's A-List actors, is a movie waiting to happen.  They wrote the script, and were patient for the timing to be right; I'd say their timing was as good as it was going to get.  Nine Oscar nominations and two wins is impressive by anyone's standards.  Hopefully the duo reunite to bring us more original stories like the one in Good Will Hunting.

You know what's a good movie? (Part 5)

Part 1: Forrest Gump

Connection: Tom Hanks

Part 2: Toy Story

Connection: Pixar

Part 3: The Incredibles

Connection: Superhero Films

Part 4: Batman (1989)

Connection: Jack Nicholson

Part 5: The Departed

The Departed is about two Massachusetts State Police troopers; one played by Matt Damon, the other by Leonardo DiCaprio. Two troopers, two very different paths. I'm sorry, but we don't talk plot on AtD, it's more about opinion... for plot, WATCH THE MOVIE!

Let's start with Matt Damon. Damon has to play possibly the most difficult role in the film. He has to play it cool as a State Trooper, so he doesn't get caught tipping off Jack Nicholson and his thugs. But he also has a dark side; staying loyal to Jack Nicholson. Playing on both sides of the fence AND keeping a relationship going with a State Trooper therapist (Vera Farmiga) proves to be very difficult for Damon. Spectacular acting.

Leonardo DiCaprio has a similar role, but it's not quite so difficult. DiCaprio does a great job portraying someone who is tormented by the job he has taken on. He can't tell anyone who he is, he has to try and find the mole in the State Troopers (Damon) and he's falling for his therapist (Farmiga). It's a great performance, but again, Damon's is more difficult.

And then there's good old Jack Nicholson. The mob boss who NO ONE messes with. He loves Damon like a son, and uses him for his own benefit. As an audience we all think Nicholson is avoiding jail because of Damon helping him; well there's a lot more to the story. I've read that the part was originally written for Robert De Niro, but he had to pull out because of The Good Shepherd, a film he directed also starring Damon. Nicholson is ok in this movie. You see, no matter what Nicholson does, it feels like he's over-acting. I don't know how else to explain it, but I do like him in this film. He demands attention, takes over every scene he's in, and is very charismatic every time there's a run-in with the law.

Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin give amazing performances in supporting character roles. Wahlberg is the only actor from the movie to be nominated for an Academy Award that year. He has some great one-liners that will either get you to love him or want to hit him right square in the eye. Great movies seem to always have great supporting casts.

Then there's the man that has to tie this tangled web of story together. Don't get me wrong, the movie is easy to follow, but that's only because of Martin Scorsese. Any other director would have lost the audience. There is a lot of double-crossing, deception, lies, cheating, cover-ups, etc. that could lose even the most sophisticated of movie fans. But Scorsese finds a way to make it flow very nicely, very simply. He was rewarded with his FIRST Oscar for Best Director on his 8th nomination. The movie also won Best Picture of the year. The Departed is a smart, very well executed thriller, that deserved the recognition it received in 2006. Thanks to a legendary director, and an excellent cast who gave spectacular performances.

Fourth Bourne may shoot early next year

Matt Damon as a spy hero? If you would have asked me that a few years ago, I would have say, yeah f'ing right! As the men of 40 Year Old Virgin put it: "Y'know, I always thought that Matt Damon was like a Streisand, but he's rocking the shit in this one"! I believe The Bourne movies have re-invented the spy genre so much that it has raised the bar on such movies. If you want to make a spy movie, it better live up to this franchise. I also believe the success of the Bond movies, especially Casino Royale is due to the Bourne franchise pushing the envelope. Dark Horizon interviewed producer Frank Marshall and here's what he had to say:

We’d like to shoot next year. It’s trying to get everybody’s schedules in the right place and getting the script right. We’ve done pretty well with these scripts that are pretty loosely put together, but I’d like the script to be really solid this time before we go forward. We’re spending a lot of time on this story.

If this is true, we could see a fourth Bourne movie by summer, or late 2011. Keep it here for more Bourne news.