In “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey discovers, with a little supernatural assistance, that he has a very precise destiny and that one misstep could generate a radically different future. “The Adjustment Bureau” is a sort of modern retelling of the holiday classic, this time placing the emphasis less on the altered timeline and more on the events that transpire to bring it to pass. The result is an intoxicating and pulse-pounding mix of science fiction, philosophy and theology.

David Norris (Matt Damon) is on the brink of becoming the youngest senator in U.S. history. On election night, he meets the beautiful and electrifying Elise (Emily Blunt), a modern dancer. But when David tries to reach out to her, mysterious fedora-clad men (John Slattery didn’t even have to change out of his “Mad Men” costume) step in to prevent their being together. David learns he has run afoul of the Adjustment Bureau, a virtually omnipotent organization that manipulates the course of every single human life, and has done so since the beginning of time. They give the illusion of free will while orchestrating every minute detail of our fate. David must accept his predetermined path and let the woman of his dreams go, or, in the face of incomprehensibly overwhelming odds, fight his fate and pursue her, quite literally, across time and space.

“The Adjustment Bureau” is similar to the sci-fi classic, “Dark City,” minus the malevolent intent. The Bureau manipulates human history not because of some sort of sinister ulterior motive but to ensure our survival. But they manipulate nonetheless. Free will is only an illusion. While it never comes out and overtly declares itself, “The Adjustment Bureau” implies that the mysterious forces at play behind the curtain are none other than God and his angelic minions (as opposed to the authoritarian government slant of the short story). While the film leaves room for other supernatural interpretations (aliens, etc.), the script borrows heavily from Christian theology, using biblical coding to recast one of the most divisive doctrinal debates in church history—Calvinism vs. Arminianism.

Distilled to their essences, Calvanism centers on predestination while Arminianism emphasizes humankind’s free will in the process of its own salvation. Do we control our own destiny or do unseen forces pull the strings? (Or is destiny merely a synonym of predestination, negating our presumed autonomy?) Does the sum total of our choices make us who we are, or is the end result all that counts? There is a wonderful examination of fate premised not on the fact that one door will lead to bliss and the other, catastrophe, but that “great” can be impeded, even derailed by “good enough.” Would you give up your all-but assured dreams to be with the woman you love?

Based on a short story by Philip K. Dick (“Blade Runner,” “Total Recall,” “Minority Report”), “The Adjustment Bureau” is Dick’s least sci-fi adaptation, yet perhaps his most intellectually and philosophically heady. Screenwriter George Nolfi (“Ocean’s Eleven,” “Ocean’s Twelve,” “The Bourne Ultimatum”) makes his stylish and assured directorial debut (he also wrote the script). “The Adjustment Bureau” is luminously creative, postulating interdimensional travel through everyday doors (think “Monsters, Inc.”) in a Lower Manhattan dominated by sumptuous Art Deco towers (the film is a love letter to a classic idealization of the city). The film has a gentle, delightful pacing and despite its otherworldly premise, is, at its beating heart, a science fiction love story. Damon and Blunt have such palpable chemistry from their very first scene that we utterly believe he would spend an entire movie vaulting obstacles to be with her.

Smart, sophisticated, well acted and luxuriously directed, “The Adjustment Bureau” is pure pleasure on every level.

GRADE: A

Directed by: George NolfiStarring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, Michael Kelly, John Slattery, Terence Stamp

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some sexuality and a violent image.

Running Time: 124 minutes

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