The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

Delayed from theaters by a year or so, “The Adjustment Bureau” – starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, and based on a story by Philip K. Dick – had stinker written all over it. Why else the wait? But the shocker: This is a smart thriller that plays like a 1950s Hitchcock-directed episode of “The Twilight Zone.” That’s praise. How refreshing not see to the normal run of aliens, death, destruction and hell fire in another-worldly-we-are-not-alone thriller. The better surprise: This is a lovers-on-the-run film that rocks with leads that spark big-screen chemistry so rare nowadays.

The gist: Damon is a liberal N.Y. Senate candidate who on the night of a devastating defeat meets cute with a dancer (Blunt) in a posh men’s bathroom. They hit it off. They kiss. Sparks fly. But the romance is not to be. Says who? Serious guys in suits, stark 1950s hats. FBI types who don’t work for the U.S. of A. But a higher power. The film takes five or six years on this one tale, with Damon as the guy saying he is meant to be with this one woman. Period. End of story. Terence Stamp is the guy in the way, and he’s in full “Kneel before Zod” mode. Stamp is one old bad ass.

Many critics gripe about the ending, I loved it. It's out of left field. I also loved the sly dialogue, dropped comments about “red-letter missions,” and what not. It demands that the audience be smart to catch the dialogue. Fast, breezy, low-pitched and, yes, a bit too light at times (What are the senator’s politics? Why is a quick American history lesson so damn PC audience friendly?), it’s directed and written by George Nolfi of Damon’s “Bourne” series.

Damon, by the way, is remarkable, and back on track after several crap films (yeah, “Hereafter” sucks), you want to root for this guy, even against the always-mentioned, never-seen Chairman. And I don’t mean Sinatra. P.S. I love a good hat, and this film is full of ’em. Also a stand-out: The editing and special effects, which pop with quick, smart cuts and merely hinted-at illusions. Sometimes, it’s what we can’t see that is most inspiring. And worth believing in. B+