David Norris (Matt Damon) is campaigning to be the NY State Senator. He’s all-American, has sweet boyish features, honest and has a perfect track record. He even comes with the right dose of sympathy factor: A deceased mother and brother. But when a bar prank sets him up to lose the race – and the story/photo appears on the cover of every newspaper – he’s got to give his sorry-I-blew-it speech. Practicing in the men’s room mirror, he happens upon Elise (Emily Blunt) who appears from a nearby stall. They share an instant chemistry, not to mention a kiss that’s about to cost them years of soul searching. Up until now the film is solid and extremely entertaining until seconds later a group of evil guys in trench coats and fedoras (leftover cast from “Mad Men” perhaps?) and ironically they’re led by John Slattery, have other plans for Damon. It’s a shame because we’ve just settled into this film with soul. But the film isn’t sure of it’s own skin. Is it now Sci fi? Drama? Comedy? Damon is vulnerable, likeable and gentle. He’s like Jason Bourne minus the toughness (or the ability to shoot guns and jump high speed cars.) Apparently the fedora guys have a plan. They preach us that humans don’t have free will. Everything is fate and fixed destinies. The problem is it would have been better to deliver this story as Bourne Ultimatum instead of a bunch of guys after a would-be-Senator. Why would these men really care about the love life of a guy and girl when they could focus on overturning the destiny of terrorists. Ridiculous after about the first fifteen minutes. Two tiaras
