George Nolfi‘s The Adjustment Bureau (Universal, 9.17) is some kind of trippy spooky thing starring Matt Damon (wearing one of those abominable straw hats that regimented American conformists wore in the ’50s) and Emily Blunt. Based on a 1954 Philip K. Dick short story called “The Adjustment Team,” it’s about the relatonship between a politician (Damon) and a ballerina (Blunt) being “thrown into disarray by the mysterious forces at work beneath the surface of their virtual world,” etc.

Set in the mid ’50s, it’s some kind of Matrix-y type deal. “Do we control our destiny, or do unseen forces manipulate us?,” etc.

Last month an IMDB guy named “Master Haas” claimed to have seen a research screening of The Adjustment Bureau, and wrote (for what it is worth) the following:

“Surprisingly good movie! Damon and Blunt had great chemistry. The ending was a bit of a letdown though. They seemed aware of this since they asked us specifically about the end. If they can make the ending a bit more interesting or powerful, they might have a great movie on their hands…

“If I were them I’d be worried about opening so close to Inception, as this could get lost in the shuffle. A holiday release seems much more appropriate as [this] is a fairly light, breezy film. Think The Matrix filtered through Catch Me If You Can.”