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You predict the ending, A comment on the industry and its formulas.

post #1 of 8
2/28/11 at 12:20am
Thread Starter 

I did a search for a topic like this and could not find one.

 

The idea of this thread came to me while I was watching a trailer for the Adjustment Bureau during the Oscar telecast. 

 

I realized that though I have no knowledge of the plot of the Adjustment Bureau I was 99% sure I already knew how the film would end provided the film followed the two formulas I saw in place in the trailer. Since the movie is a relatively big budgeted film with a-list actors based on a short story unknown to the average Joe, the studio will try to maximize their return and therefore follow the money making formula (you know, the happy ending). Also I was sure that since the film is advertised like a mindfuck, It will follow that formula as well (the twist ending).

 

Putting these two together I came to the conclusion that the twist ending would be in Matt Damon's favor. Which would mean that Matt Damon and Emily Blunt would end up together, which in turn would mean that this infallible God like Agency presented as the antagonist in the trailer actually wanted this to happen and the whole movie was an elaborate charade the adjustment bureau cooked up to ensure they would stay together.

 

To get this straight, I don't want the film to end this way. I want to watch movies like this and be wowed. Hopefully the story will present me with moral dilemmas and have something to say about the human condition, but I doubt it. I want all films to take me places that surprise me, but that rarely happens. To keep this want at the forefront of all of my predictions I'll preface them with the phrase 'I hope that _______ doesn't end like this.'

 

So here is goes.

 

I hope that the The Adjustment Bureau doesn't end like this. The Bureau wanted our hero to fall in love with the love interest. They cased Matt Damon's character and knew that their prohibition of his Emily Blunt love would be the thing that would get him to love her all the more and stay with her forever. So they fuck with him and he falls in love because of it.

 

Please feel free to use this thread to lament how the studios work by making predictions of your own and we'll see how many predictions come true.

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post #2 of 8
2/28/11 at 4:42am

I have zero doubt that you just described the last act of Adjustment Bureau. The premise offers some interesting ideas like who makes these plans the bureu adjusts, is he God, what is destiny, etc. Instead of these the film will probably settle for "easy calories" and goes for cool, Inception-inspired stunts and the twist ending you predicted.

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post #3 of 8
2/28/11 at 11:39am

That is not how the movie ends.

 

That being said, the movie ends poorly.

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post #4 of 8
2/28/11 at 12:29pm

I disagree. I liked the flick and the ending but yeah that isn't how it ended.

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post #5 of 8
2/28/11 at 3:19pm
Thread Starter 

Cool. Like I said I hoped the prediction was wrong. I have more interest in seeing it now. 

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post #6 of 8
2/28/11 at 4:38pm

I don't mind being able to see how a film ends as long as it's done well. Let's face it if any of us chewers are worth our salt we've watched a shit tonne of movies - certainly more than the average viewer. Not only that, but hopefully we've watched a vast array of movies rather than just a favorite genre, so we've seen how different genres, different film eras and films from different countries have their own cinematic languages and cliches.

 

Yes it's fun to be wowed or taken by surprise by a film and I'll be the first to cry foul if a film has an abysmal ending that undoes the good work of the first two acts, but I think it's also an under-rated joy to see a very good story well told, regardless of whether you can see the ending a mile away or not.

 

The journey can be the destination.


Edited by The Rain Dog - 2/28/11 at 5:43pm
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post #7 of 8
2/28/11 at 5:28pm

I'm with RD.

 

Just move me.  Move me, and it won't matter too much how predictable a story's conclusion is. 

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post #8 of 8
2/28/11 at 6:16pm

I know what you mean by predictability in movies.   I would even say in some cases, predictability is actually built into certain genres specifically 99% of Rom Coms.  I mean who doesn't know every story beat of one of these?  

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