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The Adjuster (1991)
watch the movie again, i can tell you barely were paying attention
This is a great movie. You should watch it again. I agree that it is not one of Agoyans most accessible films but there are many elements that first surfaced in Adjuster that are featured prominently in his later works (Exotica, Calendar, SHa). Following on the impetus of many cutting edge directors Agoyan employs plot elipses to avoid a forced resolution in both Exotica and Adjuster--in other words he creates interactions that are never really resolved, symbolized in the act of striptease. Playing on the role of the erotic in both films, Agoyan goes over the top with Exotica--although I think it is a great film--falling back on the erotic material it others in a way that he subtly avoids in Adjuster. The only real onscreen sex occurs while the Adjuster and one of his clients talk about some of the loopholes of the insurance claims, a provocative and hilarious scene. The adjuster, you are led to believe is a pervert or something to that extent, but the truth is that he is obsessed with his job and only wants to make people happy. Of course he puts his family second to his work (although they were once his clients--another tantalizing irresolution). More than in Exotica irresolution and contradiction is played up in Adjuster, leading up to a number of amazing scenes that exemplify the ways that we are influenced or adjusted by the visual mediums which we abhor. The clearest example is the final porn screening when the new censor comes on to Khanjian, who hesitates and then laughs, but laughter that is impure and begins at some point to resemble sobbing. Anyway I think Adjuster is one of Agoyans best films, worthy of being watched many times.