The Adjuster (1992)

People are voting emotionally.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

I first became a fan of Atom Egoyan's work with Exotica, continued with The Sweet Hereafter, and then was completely hooked when I stumbled upon The Adjuster about ten years ago.I bought the DVD (I was so taken with it) and then just watched it for the second time tonight. The Adjuster is possibly the most hypnotic and captivating of all of Egoyan's films (if you can get past the over-the-top bizarre factor) simply because you literally need to get to the end of the film to really put it together. And while that was true of other films, particularly Exotica, The Adjuster is a bit more rewarding simply because the themes and undercurrents of the film are so subtle. As with all of this Armenian-Canadian filmmaker's works, it draws its magic out slowly, until it literally has you mesmerized.It centers around an almost martyr-like insurance adjuster (played with brilliant cryptic understatement by Elias Koteas) who appears to be in an almost cardboard cut-out of an existence. He lives with his semi-estranged wife (Arsinee Khanjian) in an ersatz model home whose interiors are half fake, her sister and a small boy. His time is consumed making calls on victims of fires, all of whom he places at a typical multi-colored door motel, spouting canned bits of comfort and wisdom to them as their claims continue unpaid for an extremely long period of time. Koteas' character seems obsessed with making time stand still, in a way, and it's only revealed at the end the root of his fragile madness.The real standout performance (and piece of character writing) is in the always great Maury Chaykin's character. Now, I never got that he was an ex football player, and never really believed his name was Bubba, but I guess that's plausible. I merely thought he was another obsessive, taken to the extreme by extreme wealth and boredom. He's the true nightmare version of Koteas' character. Just the mere device of Chaykin and his wife tooling around in their chauffeured Lincoln or whiling away time at their huge mansion, always in search of some illusory delusion of normalcy and happiness was enough to hook me into this. Chaykin's absorption into this character is fascinating to watch. The crux of the movie's themes are all over an outstanding monologue he delivers while posing as a location scout for a movie company. It's all there and rendered indelibly by him. Fabulous actor....just fabulous.There's a whole other subplot with Khanjian, her sister, and fellow censor Don McKellar that mirrors much of the movie's central theme. It adds to the richness of the jigsaw but doesn't hold a candle to when Koteas and Chaykin are on screen.As for those who wonder where the plot is --- well, films like this are more thematic and character driven, so you may want to pass on this one if you require a story and get angry when films don't deliver that. For those searching for more, trust me....you'll find it, and then some.

Words cannot express how much I love The Adjuster. It's actually been a while since I saw it, so I picked it up again, and well, fell in love with it once again. It's just that good.The cast consists of a Canadian dream cast du jour: Elias Koteas! Don Mckellar! Maury Chaykin! Arsinée Khanjian! They're all DYNAMITE here, playing some low down creepy characters here.Koteas plays the titular Adjuster in the movie, looking after people who've lost their houses in a fire. Khanjian plays his wife, who makes a living from being a censor for the government (!!), Don Mckellar plays the new censor that was hired who catches on very quickly how to move up in the world. I'd rather not get into Maury Chayken's character if you don't mind lol All of these characters intermingle with each other. There's not a huge story to be found here, more of a character study. And what a study it is, as you find out a little more about each character with every viewing, with some mysteries yet to reveal (What WAS with the Podiatrist?) Can't recommend this movie enough. I have to say this is Egoyan's crowning achievement, and I've been waiting for him to replicate it. (Instead, he's been giving us crap like Felicia's Journey)

this early atom egoyan film is truly the best of his movies that i have seen, and they are "exotica", "felecia's journey", "the sweet hereafter", "speaking parts" and of course "adjuster". egoyan has a very special gift and that is the way he tells the stories, a way that forces the characters to do things you wouldn't think they'll do, or do them in a very un-expected way. egoyan drives you into the story using all the tools included in a film director's case: beautiful, almost dreamy photography, haunting mysterious music,careful attention to movement and color. that is the case with all his films but in "adjuster" this unique style of his really comes to a peak. the strange story of an insurance adjuster being eaten inside by guilt and fear seems to take place in a world where morality and good are disappearing slowly, living the honest man to burn is his own hell, created by his inability to read the reality that lies before him. this is always a very good story material for films, because it allows the filmmaker an investigation of the psyche, tormented, searching, afraid and yet unable to tie all ropes together to make sense of the world. i recommend watching "the adjuster" and then watching it again after a day or two. if you dig movies, you will not forget this one. an exceptional experience.

The one thing I can always count on from Atom Egoyan is an interesting film. This is a brilliant, and very dark, comedy with a sensationally twisted plot, fabulous cast, and great cinematography. Egoyan's use of light is excellent, as is the wonderful setting and scenery. This film is so imaginative that it's beyond a story told on the screen...visual poetry. And the frightening thing is that as good as this film is, it's not even his best effort. The pace was a bit slow at times, and at times the plot seemed to stagger a bit. His film-making was much sharper in Exotica, which is my personal favourite. But the plot is so well devised (odd and twisted, and full of intricate details that are hard to really absorb the first time through) that it makes up for any lack of quality. Elias Koteas is really good in this; his best role save perhaps Fallen, and he outshines Arsinee Khanjian who didn't quite feel up to par. My favourite role in the film, however, was a fabulous performance by Maury Chaykin as an unbalanced former football player. The gasoline scene is the best in the film, and Chaykin's expression and lines are priceless. As well, look for Don McKellar's excellent, though unfortunately small role, as Tyler (the rookie censor). He's absolutely hilarious, and his delivery of dialogue is nothing short of brilliant. All i all, it's not Egoyan's best effort, which means it still stands above most films. A really good quality indie-film, with a *very* original plot, quirky and memorable characters, and a strong cast. An easy 8/10.