The Adjuster, Canadian Atom Egoyan’s fourth feature, is the first of his works to achieve international acclaim, playing at the Cannes Film Fest (in the Director’s Fortnight program).
Grade: B+ (*** 1/2* out of *****)
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Film poster
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Egoyan based the film on a true story in 1989, when a fire burned down his parents’ home, which made him realized how strange it was for the victims to be emotionally dependent of insurance workers.
Elias Koteas plays insurance adjuster Noah Render, who tries to restore the damaged lives of his clients by using unorthodox methods. He sleeps with most of them, puts them up in a designated hotel and quotes his profession’s code like a mantra: ‘You may not know it yet, but you’re in shock.’
This amoral yet compassionate protagonist, who lives with his film-censor wife (Arsinée Khanjian, Egoyan’s real life wife) is in a barren suburban development.
Strangely compelling, the film relies on wide-screen cinematography to portray the space that separates Noah from those he encounters.
Insurance adjuster Noah Render (Elias Koteas) attempts to restore the damaged lives of his clients. His methods are unorthodox. He sleeps with most of them, puts them up in a designated hotel and quotes his profession’s code like a mantra: “You may not know it yet, but you’re in shock.”
When another plot line with Bubba and Mimi collides with the adjuster’s, the story takes an unpredictably surreal turn.
His effective use of wide-screen cinematography portrays the terrifying abyss that separates Noah from those around him.
Credits:
Directed, written by Atom Egoyan
Produced by Robert Lantos
Music by Mychael Danna
Cinematography Paul Sarossy
Edited by Susan Shipton
Production companies: Ego Film Arts; Alliance Entertainment
Distributed by Orion Classics (USA)
Release date: September 26, 1991; July 1992
Running time: 102 minutes
Budget CAD 1,500,000 (estimated)
Box office $396,573
