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The Visitor
From the writer/director of 2003's The Station Agent. Economics professor Walter Vale (the fantastic Richard Jenkins) is the shy, disillusioned male at the centre of Thomas McCarthy's ensemble piece, who returns to his New York apartment after a long absence to find it occupied by a couple of illegal immigrants. Convivial Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) is a talented drummer who encourages Walter out of his protective shell, while his prickly girlfriend Zainab (Danai Gurira) carries the burden of their perilous citizenship status.
Each learns something new from the other, but just when you think you have this film pinned, it takes off in an unexpected direction.
Starring Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbass, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira
Directed by Thomas McCarthy ('The Station Agent')
Written by Thomas McCarthy
Drama | 1hr 46mins | Rated (M) | contains offensive language | Origin: USA | Official Site »
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The Talk
3 votes / No comments
Flicks review
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3
Widowed college professor Walter Vale leads an aimless, unsatisfied life until he becomes embroiled in the lives of an immigrant couple living in New York City. They fill his life with renewed energy and purpose, largely through music, before an encounter with post 9/11 immigration policies intensifies the relationship and tests their newly forged connection.
Although the story is structured around the rebirth of Walter's spirit, it spends a big chunk of screen time meditating on the realities of American immigration policy. Unfortunately, this subject is a bulky one and director Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent) can't always find the best way to get his message across. Since his attempted use of humanist, apolitical storytelling methods are actually a veneer for liberal ideology, some of the attempts to pluck on the heartstrings can seem insincere. It's an approach with good intentions, but seems to neutralise his potential to make the political points he clearly wants to. At times, the immigration system seems to be portrayed with a Kafka-esque bent that is a much more effective critique than some of the heavy handed symbolism employed elsewhere.
The sub-text of social musings keeps the pace at a gentle, contemplative rate. While at times it stretches scenes a little too far, the approach allows ample screen time for the cast to carve out rich, rounded characters. The acting of the principle figures really is the highlight of this film, particularly Richard Jenkins as Walter. If only the focus was more on him and less on immigration policies. Instead, The Visitor is a well acted, well meaning film that ends up chasing its tail when it wanders into political territory.SHARE:
The people's reviews
3 reviews
Press Reviews
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Empire [UK]
4
The tension dips occasionally but stick with it and you'l be richly rewarded.
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Hollywood Reporter
A compelling and illuminating story of four people who form an unlikely and momentary friendship of considerable depth.
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New York Times
The curious thing about The Visitor is that even as it goes more or less where you think it will, it still manages to surprise you along the way.
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Rolling Stone [USA]
A heartfelt human drama that sneaks up and floors you.
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Seattle Post-Intelligencer
It works on several levels, and stands out as a wistful meditation on the psychological cost of 9/11.
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Variety [USA]
A combination immigrant/resurrection tale, Visitor tilts toward the soulful rather than the political, and could be this year's humanistic indie hit.
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Village Voice [USA]
McCarthy unquestionably means well, but he's made one of those incredibly naïve movies that gives liberals a bad name, and which does more to regress the sociopolitical discourse than advance it.
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