The Loss Adjuster

The Loss Adjuster, though very much set in reality, has a slight sense of magic to it, ensuring it's a respectable addition to the long list of movies that try to teach the true meaning of Christmas. It's bookended with a story about a rich man who falls from a plane, losing all his material possessions yet is found smiling as he hits the ground. It's an allegory that mirrors that of central character, Martin, played by Goss. Martin is the archetypal everyman ­-- put upon and uninspired, yet also kind and warm. He's not the funny one or the charming one, but he sure is the good one, which makes him easy to root for.

Though much of the movie is about difficult encounters, there are fleeting moments of connection that sparkle even more brightly amid the workaday drudgery. Joan Collins makes a typically glamorous appearance as a rich widow looking to make Martin her fancy man, and Martin Kemp proves an enjoyably unthreatening criminal mastermind along with his sweet-natured son, Sam (David Byrne). Moments of physical comedy and nimbly written exchanges add a lightness to a plot that may have felt somewhat gloomy were it not for our faith in the festive setting to produce some Christmas magic and bring us a happy ending.