The Adjustment Bureau

A lesson in chemistry

Philosophy and theology have always interested me and those themes are the foundation of The Adjustment Bureau. Unfortunately, they’re not developed, and the ending is predictable Hollywood…

…but what makes this movie terrific fun is the personal chemistry between Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.

From their first conversation in a hotel men’s room to their final scene together, you like them, you root for them, you believe them. They feel right together.

 

What attracted me to this film was the concept, the tease about destiny versus free will.

But the movie works because its a really good love story, and because of that special spark that sometimes happens between two people.

The hardest thing to do in our business is create a multi-person show because personal chemistry is impossible to predict. You hear it when it’s there and you hear it when it’s not there, but if anyone tells you they can guarantee chemistry between two people who’ve never worked together before, they’re deceiving you.

The point of this is to remind you that sometimes you’ve got to roll the dice.

Sometimes you’ve got to use your best instincts and pair up two unlikely actors and let ‘er rip.

You’ll know quickly if that spark is present, or if it’s not.

If it is, you’ve just won the Powerball. If not, try again. Don’t accept people trying to work together when there’s no magic, no spark, no chemistry.

Don’t settle. All we have are the choices we make.

And just to remind yourself what great chemistry looks like, what it sounds like, go see this movie, just for the scenes between Matt and Emily.