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Review of The Adjustment Bureau (Thomas Newman)

FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:

Buy it... if the generically computerized rhythmic chase scores of this generation no longer interest you and you seek the same atmospheric effect from Thomas Newman's reliably eclectic collection of oddly compiled instruments.

Avoid it... if the only thing that connects less with you emotionally than generically computerized rhythmic chase scores is precisely Newman's usual rattling and clunking rhythms, a sound that unfortunately disappoints in this aimless application.

FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:

The Adjustment Bureau: (Thomas Newman) Predestination and fate are concepts that have been explored throughout science fiction in an attempt to raise existential questions about religion and other weighty topics in the environment of a thriller. George Nolfi's 2011 film The Adjustment Bureau is perhaps the most notable packaging of this brain-twisting genre since 1998's Dark City, once again placing the elements of romance and destiny at odds with mysterious powers that seem to control everyday lives. The chase is once again on in The Adjustment Bureau, Matt Damon playing a rising political star who happens upon a chance encounter with a dancer portrayed by Emily Blunt. Strange men in hats who can travel through time and space using special doorways use their powers to keep the pair apart, eventually explaining that the "plan" for the politician's successful American presidential run and the ballerina's great career are both jeopardized by their unsanctioned romance. Planned futures are no match for love at first sight, however, and the "adjustment bureau" that points us in the proper directions eventually has to decide how far it is willing to go to protect the "proper" timeline. The religious implications and paradoxical chases earned generally positive reviews and Universal will see profits from the film, though it's more likely to be destined for a cult following than mainstream acceptance. Nolfi's previous credits had been as a writer, and in those films, the composer duties had rotated widely. For The Adjustment Bureau, he turned to Thomas Newman, once a darling of the industry who has in recent years chosen only an odd assortment of less obvious assignments. By the late 2000's, little remained of the Tom Newman who wrote compelling orchestral music in dramatic films, a frequent nominee for Academy Awards despite never winning. Instead, his knack for experimenting with strange instrumental and rhythmic textures led him down a completely different path, composing comparatively quirky and oddball scores of minimal power and depth for more intimate topics. There is no doubt that The Adjustment Bureau represents a continuation of Newman's meandering walk down the avenue of minimalism, an intriguing but not completely alienating method of tackling a science fiction story. The problem some listeners have with these kinds of scores is not their lack of symphonic bravado, but simply any engaging spirit of connection with the listener. In many ways, Newman is a master at writing exotically cold rhythmic music, and The Adjustment Bureau is a direct result of that talent and inclination.

The ensemble for The Adjustment Bureau consists of instruments and techniques that date back to Newman's famous American Beauty score. These sounds have become reliable staples of the man's career, often for the worse due to their typically limited emotional range. Percussion and electronics are the centerpieces, Newman's usual eclectic assortment of struck objects joined by his equally familiar keyboarded and strummed tendencies. Glass bowls, marimbas, celestas, tom-toms, xylophones, and other veteran Newman tones maintain an adequate, other-worldly environment. Electric guitars, synthetic keyboarding, and pulsating bass effects address the sci-fi aspect. Piano, acoustic guitar, and occasional orchestral accompaniment (mostly strings, it seems) serve the romantic side of the story. Some manipulation and abrasive attitude in the rhythms can be heard ("Escher Loop" has a passage that reminds of Jarhead), but typically the score is content to bubble along in an ethereal atmosphere. Among the highlights are the moments when Newman combines the disparate sections of his score into interesting brews, especially in the cool rock and symphonic ramblings of "Elise." The strictly orchestral moments are at a premium, led by "None of Them Are You," which includes acoustic guitar and oboe coloration. Only in this latter cue and "The Ripples Must Be Endless (End Title)" do you hear Newman's old self struggling to assert itself (along with the piano performances in "Four Elections"). Thematically, The Adjustment Bureau very poorly enunciates its ideas, a couple of identities developed only haphazardly throughout the score. The piano motif for the female lead in "Elise" and "The Girl on the Bus" and an overarching theme consisting of three-note phrases repeating endlessly (best heard in the final cue) are insufficient to carry the narrative. Without clear themes to guide the score, its impact is dependant purely upon the unusual ensemble and its perpetually churning sense of movement. Even the instrumentation is suspect in parts, a Middle-Eastern flair in the performance emphasis sometimes intruding and intriguing sounds often emphasized only in singular places. Ultimately, The Adjustment Bureau receives a dominantly atmospheric score from Newman, one that thankfully avoids the pitfalls of the normal computerized filth that gets written frequently for such occasions nowadays. But although Newman's approach is more intellectually stimulating, it still fails to really connect emotionally or tell any kind of overarching narrative, and it is thus a disappointment. The composer contributed to one of the three rock songs on the album, though none of them is related to the score's rather stubborn, bleak tone. Rattling and clunking has its limits.  **

TRACK LISTINGS:

Total Time: 56:24

• 1. Fate (0:39) • 2. Inflection Points (1:42) • 3. Elise (3:27) • 4. Four Elections (1:46) • 5. Future's Bright - performed by Richard Ashcroft (5:51) • 6. The Girl on the Bus (2:42) • 7. Square-One Reset (2:21) • 8. Richardson (2:21) • 9. None of Them Are You (2:15) • 10. New Leaf (2:53) • 11. Pier 17 (3:22) • 12. Recalibration (1:35) • 13. The Substrate (1:32) • 14. Real Kiss (1:54) • 15. Fever (Adam Freeland Extended Remix) - performed by Sarah Vaughan (7:02) • 16. The Illusion of Free Will (2:32) • 17. Escher Loop (4:14) • 18. The Ripples Must Be Endless (End Title) (3:14) • 19. Are You Ready - performed by Richard Ashcroft and the United Nations of Sound (5:02)

NOTES & QUOTES:

The insert includes no extra information about the score or film.

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