The Plan - DVD

Film: Matt Damon is once again on the run. But this time not from his past as in the Bourne films, but from his future. For this is to follow a clear pattern in The Plan, but a powerful disruptor gets in the way: true love!

In the film, based on a short story by Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner, Minority Report), Damon plays aspiring politician David Norris, who already seems to have reached the end of his career after losing the election for the US Senate. But an encounter with unconventional dancer Elise (Emily Blunt) inspires him to give a speech that, in one fell swoop, makes his political future seem extremely bright again. A short time later, David meets his chance acquaintance again on a bus - and there is an immediate spark between the two. What David does not suspect: this meeting in the bus should never have taken place. Now forces are set in motion that no one knows exist to prevent David and Elise from falling in love for good. The first kiss must be prevented at all costs so as not to upset the clearly constructed fabric of the future. But David won't resign himself to this firmly prescribed plan, and he begins to fight for love - no matter what the cost.

Somehow the trailer for The Plan conveys that the viewer is heading into similar territory here as Inception, or at least being treated to a fast-paced fantasy thriller. If you go into the film with this expectation, you might be bitterly disappointed. Because first and foremost, the directorial debut from Bourne Ultimatum writer George Nolfi is a great love story. And as such, the whole thing works wonderfully. This is especially thanks to the two leads, who have great chemistry together. When Matt Damon and Emily Blunt look each other in the eye, sparks just fly off the screen. It's all too understandable that David would put his promising political career on the line just to be by this woman's side. This is romance at its best, presented in an original and exciting way.

The film is also visually compelling. Shot largely on location in New York, the film boasts wonderful camerawork, with the occasional computer effects blending in splendidly. Add to that a group of very good supporting actors and an engaging soundtrack, and a perfect cinematic adventure would be finished, if it weren't for the audience's wrongly stoked expectations. Because both the fantasy and the action aspect take a rather subordinate role in the production. Sure, there are some thrilling chases and yes, the story itself is pure fantasy. But by the time David and Elise meet on the bus at the latest, it becomes clear that the fantasy mantle is only loosely swung around the romance core, too loosely to really satisfy fantasy fans.

If you're in the mood to see a very good romantic thriller with a wonderful duo of actors, great imagery and a pleasant dash of humor, The Plan is definitely not to be missed. But if you're expecting pure fantasy action and think every form of cinematic declaration of love is kitsch, this movie is definitely not in your plan. And so the bottom line is: a very good film, which only suffers from the misleading marketing. Absolutely recommendable!

Picture + Sound: The technical implementation apparently went quite according to plan, because there is neither to the very clean, consistently sharp image with its atmospheric coloring, nor to the pleasantly dynamic sound in some scenes by purposefully used sound effects and ambient sounds much to criticize. Very good!

Extras: The bonus offerings start with an audio commentary by writer and director George Nolfi. The optional German subtitled commentary is very factual, but also informative and therefore well worth listening to. It continues with six unreleased or extended scenes (approx. 7 min.), as well as short documentaries about the filming locations in New York (approx. 7 min.), Emily Blunt's preparations for her role as a dancer (approx. 7 min.), and the role of fate in the story (approx. 4 min.). The three featurettes have a very high promotional character. Nevertheless, especially the documentary about the filming locations is very interesting and worth watching!

Conclusion: The Plan is a romantic thriller with fantasy touch, which can score with good actors and a nice story and only has to suffer from expectations falsely aroused by the trailer. The DVD is technically well done, the extras are okay, but overall a bit too promotional. But the bottom line is still a deserved: Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp