David Norris (Matt Damon) has what it takes to make it big in politics. His speeches elicit rapt attention not only for what he has to say, but for the way he says it. But unlike some politicians, Norris is no cynical manipulator; he really wants to make a difference in people's lives.

Problem is, aside from his career, his life is meaningless. But that changes when he meets Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt). A dancer for a hip New York company, she's as committed to being a success as he is. Yet, when they're together, nothing else seems to matter.

Do David and Elise share the same destiny? Not necessarily. They've attracted the attention of ominous men in hats who may or may not be angels but who go about their business with bureaucratic precision. Their latest action item: tearing the couple apart.

"The Adjustment Bureau" is an exhilarating balancing act, at once a science-fiction romp, a paranoid thriller and a philosophical treatise. It's the directorial debut of George Nolfi, who adapted the script from a story by Philip K. Dick, the mind behind "Blade Runner" and "Minority Report."

In Nolfi's hands, what might have been an unfocused mishmash comes off as an exercise in bravura filmmaking. Particularly impressive is his strategy of grounding the film in a reality that only strengthens its fantastical elements.

As the flabbergasted David, Damon — who starred in the Nolfi-scripted films "Ocean's Twelve" and "The Bourne Ultimatum" — turns in one of his best and most charismatic performances. And Blunt, best known for playing a snotty fashion fanatic in "The Devil Wears Prada," is thoroughly appealing as the smitten Elise.

Suspenseful, romantic and wryly funny, "The Adjustment Bureau" is the kind of film that reaffirms one's faith in Hollywood.

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What "The Adjustment Bureau" • Four stars (out of four) • Rating PG-13 • Run time 1:45 • Content Brief strong language, some sexuality and a violent image