The Adjuster (1992)

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Fresh and Exciting

The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.

This film should have been titled The Sterile Cuckoo, but that title had already been taken by another film. Atom Egoyan tries to get away from the mundane life of an insurance adjuster by adding kinky to the film every ten minutes or so. The formula falls short. It is different; and the kinky scenes are interesting, but not interesting or explored enough to alleviate the boredom of the basic plot. I enjoyed the scenes of the only professional actor in the film, Maury Chaykin (Dances With Wolves), as a very convincing pervert. However, the rest of the acting crew was strictly local theater troupe level. Not really recommended.

This very quirky film by director Atom Egoyan is about an insurance adjuster Noah, played by Elias Koteas. He is very empathetic to the victims of fires to their homes, and all of his clients end up staying in the same motel complex until their claims are settled (which never happens). A parallel story is about Bubba and Mimi, a rich couple who act out fantasies in public (she befriends him as he plays a sleeping derelict on the subway, she's a cheerleader for the football team-she is not a very young woman). The acting is fine, particularly Bubba, who is played by Maury Chaykin. I've seen him in many other projects, I think he'll be familiar to you. My problem is the story is weird for weird's sake. Who'd want to know these people? They are creepy, and the film becomes creepy. Its cutting edge, but I wanted better character development. I felt it just didn't deliver. If you get the DVD, you'll be rewarded. Included are two things which I really liked. One is the almost 20 minute film "En Passant", starring Maury Chaykin and Arsinee Khanijan, who plays Noah's wife in "The Adjuster". It moves along at a good pace and tells a simple, but good story. The other thing is an interview with director Atom Egoyan. He is articulate and I found he is true to his craft. I also realized he directed the excellent "The Sweet Hereafter". I'd recommend that movie before you touch this film. But, if you see the DVD, buy it for the extras. Check the film out. I didn't love it, but others here did.

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.