The Adjustment Bureau
A higher power tugs at mankind's strings which Matt Damon keeps trying to cut, all in the name of love. Lighthearted, interesting, semi-witty and all with a feel good theme.
Stars: ★★★★☆
Hanna
A young girl has been trained by her father since birth to be the perfect assassin. Her target, the woman who murdered her mother. Artistic, well acted, stellar directing, great sets, interesting yet well fitting soundtrack and the girl was completely believable as a hardcore assassin. Awesome movie.
Stars: ★★★★★
Full Reviews (SPOILER ALERT)
The Adjustment Bureau
When I first started this movie I had a whole different idea of where the story was headed. I figured it was just going to be another tale about how big brother is a controlling jerk. It was indeed a "fight the power" drama but this time it was bit more fun. It was all in the name of love and "The Man" this time was god and his quirky yet stylish minions.
Don't let the god aspect make you think the punchline will be all preachy. They never even say who it really was, which I liked. It could have just as easily been super advanced aliens. All the agents were foreboding yet well balanced with plenty of class and humor. This really helped keep things from getting to dark and depressing. You felt the need to rebel against them yet you completely felt like they were somehow justified in their intentions. Damon did well and his struggle for love was pretty heartfelt. His flame Emily Blunt, was uber cute and I too would have followed her to the ends of the Earth. They made a surprisingly good combo.
Now there were some recycled concepts like the boogie man portal aka Matrix back door bit, but they were all done in a decently new light. I really dug the hat aspect and it made me want to go put on my fedora the entire movie. Overall, I finished this movie with a happy feeling in my tummy... that totally had nothing to do with the hummus that I was munching on. It fulfilled my desire for the little guy to win and it boasted the underlying motif that love is all you need. Both of which are values that I hold near and dear.
Hanna
It's really hard to sell the deadly child aspect, especially when it's a girl. I always think if a kid can do it, an adult can do it better due to sheer strength and experience. But choosing a sixteen year old was a good way to play this off down the middle. Not to mention this girl (Saoirse Ronan) did a fabulous job. She conveyed the entire gambit of emotions and roles without flaw. From youthful innocence to furious maelstrom and from lost child to well oiled killing machine. I hope she gets some kind of award for this movie.
Eric Bana was cool too and his character was pretty intense. It really takes a focused and hardened individual to mold a child into the perfect weapon. To make them the best would take serious training, constant pushing and the ability to stay fairly well disconnected. I kept wondering if I were in his shoes if I could do that with my own daughter. I don't know that I could due to the fact that I kept wincing in pain when he had to berate her. Revenge of that magnitude takes a lot of willpower and planning.
I think Cate Blanchett requires proper mentioning for her part as a cold blooded bitch. She was quite ruthless and I felt the need to curb stomp her face. Her flamboyant psychopathic henchman was a lot of fun to watch too.
My final thoughts? The Chemical Brothers soundtrack was different yet well fitting. I especially enjoyed the sets, lighting, camera angles and excellent filming style. Wait… I freaking loved it all! This director was pretty on point. The performances were grand and the story unfolded nicely. High five and five stars for Hanna.
Poster Analysis
Both posters are pretty solid but I do have some issues. Bureau's is artsy, has a film noir feel which fits the story and it's well put together. But, the "Fight for your Fate" tag line is a little hokey. Hanna's is simple yet intense which fits. It doesn't tell you much and you really focus on the main girls eyes which are very penetrating. The title fonts used were a good choice. The only issues is that the tag line would help draw it all together if it weren't so small.
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