Adjustment Bureautries to Be Too Many Things
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WITTY LIZARD ON A WESTERN ADVENTURE A charlatan reptile tries to survive the American frontier in the animated film Rango, Page C3 Paramount PICtures SECTION C | THE GAZETTEMOVIES | MONTREAL | FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2011 | EDITOR: BASEM BOSHRA | 514 987 2560 | [email protected] C2 What’s On C4 Theatre C5 Camilli C8 Movie listings C10 Television C11 Comics C12 Puzzles Finkleman’s delightfully derivative in Good Dog BILL BROWNSTEIN on HBO Canada series “The success of the series hinged on the most unhinged Ken Finkleman.” ack in the last century, the B CBC unleashed one of the truly hysterical and memor- able satires in TV history. Ser- UNIVersal STUDIos iously. Of course, the object of Matt Damon and Emily Blunt have real chemistry together as they flee a group of agents led by Terence Stamp (below) in The Adjustment Bureau. the satire appears to have been the CBC itself. Which puts everything in perspective. Nonetheless, The News- room was not only a hit in this land but also touched a chord elsewhere. Without question, the success of the series hinged on the most unhinged Ken Finkleman, the producer, creator, writer NEEDS SOME TwEAKING and star of The Newsroom. Finkleman cast himself as George Findlay, the exec ADJUSTMENT BUREAU tries to be too many things, and comes up short on substance producer of a Canadian news show. George was petty, vain, self-absorbed, arrogant, T’CHA DUNLEVY The Adjustment Bureau steps in. Fine, he can see her, he is enough of any. obnoxious, obsessive, easily GAZETTE FILM CRITIC told; but if he does she will never The idea of a group of men work- agitated – and those were his become the famous dancer she is ing behind the scenes to chart the good qualities. Yet he was no ver get the feeling the world is Starring: Matt Damon, destined to be, and he will never course of our lives is classic, sinis- fool. How could he continue conspiring against you? It’s Emily Blunt, John Slattery, get to be president – a goal he never ter sci-fi. But their role is reduced to fool his bosses if he were? more than just a feeling for Anthony Mackie even had in his sights. to slipping through doorways and So, does the character sound Matt Damon in the Adjust- Playing at: AMC, Angrignon, Again he walks away, and again putting annoying impediments E Cavendish, Colossus, Côte des somewhat familiar? Uh-huh. ment Bureau, a romantic thriller they are thrown back together. To (dead phone lines, cabs that won’t Finkleman was Canada’s pre- based on a short story by sci-fi Neiges, Kirkland, Lacordaire, get to her, David must elude the Bur- stop) in David’s path. cursor to the (use same list of mastermind Philip K. Dick (whose Marché Central, Sources, eau agents, whose special powers Meanwhile, his conundrum is a aforementioned adjectives work has been adapted into the hit Sphèretech, Taschereau allow them to take cross-city short- trite choice between true love and in describing George Find- films Blade Runner, Total Recall cinemas. cuts through unmarked doors. a successful career. lay) Larry David, creator of and Minority Report). Parents’ guide: sexual He receives an unexpected boost “We give you opportunities, and Seinfeld and star and creator Damon is David Norris, a situation, language, some when sympathetic agent Harry you squander them with impulse,” of Curb Your Enthusiasm. As people’s politician running for violence. (Anthony Mackie) shows him the he is told by one of the agents. many know, David was also the Senate when a college prank tricks of the trade, allowing him to There are religious undertones the true-life inspiration for catches up with him and spoils his of inspired casting) whose job it is fight fire with fire. to the movie’s moral about free Seinfeld’s George Costanza. chances. His spirits are lifted when to keep us all walking the straight- Writer George Nolfi (Ocean’s will being a gift we should use Now the plot really thick- he falls in love with a mysterious and-narrow of our pre-ordained Twelve, The Bourne Ultimatum) wisely. But there is not enough ens. Finkleman has come woman named Elise (Emily Blunt) life paths. does a decent job in his director- substance to support it, and really out of hibernation to create, in a hotel bathroom. He was not supposed to see them, ial debut. There is real chemistry get us thinking. write and star in the 13-part The next day, he walks into work he is informed, and he is never to between Damon and Blunt, and One wishes Dick had written a half-hour series Good Dog, to find men in suits (and others in see Elise again. If he disobeys, playfulness in the depiction of the novel instead of a short story; as which debuts Sunday at futuristic riot gear) surrounding they will be forced to “reset” him. dapper agents who answer to “the is, it’s Nolfi who has squandered 8 p.m. with two episodes on his frozen-in-time campaign man- Three years later, he is still pining Chairman.” the opportunity. HBO Canada. Finkleman por- ager. Oops, he has stumbled upon for her when a chance meeting But Nolfi can’t decide whether trays a TV producer called The Adjustment Bureau, a spe- throws them together once more. to make this a love story, a sci-fi [email protected] George (with the same afore- cial unit of fate formatters (led by David clings to her tightly, but head trip or an action flick. In mentioned character quirks Mad Men’s John Slattery, in a bit the Adjustment Bureau soon the end it is a bit of each, and not twitter.com/tchadunlevy and attributes), who is pitch- ing a reality show that plays off his ordeals on The News- room. The name of the show: Embrace Your Enthusiasm. Gotta love Finkleman. Rather than have pundits point out the obvious premise connection to David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, he tackles it right off the bat. To be fair, Finkleman’s George Findlay emerged on the tube in The Newsroom before David did in Curb Your Enthusiasm. On the other hand, George Cos- tanza, David’s alter ego, was around on Seinfeld before both shows. Please see BROWNSTEIN, Page C6.