The Visitor
If heavy metal movies like “Iron Man” or “Speed Racer” are not to your taste, may we suggest a smaller, more digestible film, perhaps? My pick in that category is “The Visitor,” a quiet, careful and compelling little movie with some noteworthy performances and a powerful message.
I am always interested in movies that were written and directed by the same person; they are usually personal statements that resonate, in contrast to the committee and focus group-helmed productions that often suffer from terminal bloat. “The Visitor” was written and directed by Thomas McCarthy, a multi-talented young fellow who has appeared in supporting roles in dozens of movies and TV shows, and also wrote and directed the delightfully offbeat 2003 movie, “The Station Agent.”
As with “Smart People,” “The Visitor’s” central character is a disenchanted college professor. Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is a quiet man, a widower as solitary in the campus cafeteria as in his empty suburban home. When circumstances require him to attend a conference in New York City, he returns to the small apartment he and his wife shared there, only to find it occupied by a young immigrant couple. Tarak (Haaz Sleiman) is Syrian, his girlfriend Zainab (Danai Gurira) is Senegalese. At first, Walter wants to throw the squatters out on the street, but he soon relents and before long is sharing the apartment with them.
Tarak plays the Tabl, a Syrian drum, with a jazz trio in the Village. Charming and gregarious, he begins to instruct the reserved professor in drumming and starts to thaw this frozen personality. Zainab, who makes jewelry and sells it on the street, is wary of the older American now living in the apartment, but is willing to go along with Tarak. There is a wonderful drum session in Central Park. Then a sudden twist of fate turns this movie into a very different story, one that soon involves Tarak’s mother, played by the elegant Israeli Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass.
I won’t give away what happens, but I can tell you that you won’t soon forget the outcome of this movie. There are many quiet pleasures to be had in “The Visitor,” not the least of which is the New York backdrop. The characters are believable and human, beautifully underplayed by a strong cast. There are moments of great joy and a powerful undercurrent of sadness. Life is like that.
“The Visitor” is a perfect little movie for an imperfect world. It’s rated PG-13 for adult language and situations.
I am always interested in movies that were written and directed by the same person; they are usually personal statements that resonate, in contrast to the committee and focus group-helmed productions that often suffer from terminal bloat. “The Visitor” was written and directed by Thomas McCarthy, a multi-talented young fellow who has appeared in supporting roles in dozens of movies and TV shows, and also wrote and directed the delightfully offbeat 2003 movie, “The Station Agent.”
As with “Smart People,” “The Visitor’s” central character is a disenchanted college professor. Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is a quiet man, a widower as solitary in the campus cafeteria as in his empty suburban home. When circumstances require him to attend a conference in New York City, he returns to the small apartment he and his wife shared there, only to find it occupied by a young immigrant couple. Tarak (Haaz Sleiman) is Syrian, his girlfriend Zainab (Danai Gurira) is Senegalese. At first, Walter wants to throw the squatters out on the street, but he soon relents and before long is sharing the apartment with them.
Tarak plays the Tabl, a Syrian drum, with a jazz trio in the Village. Charming and gregarious, he begins to instruct the reserved professor in drumming and starts to thaw this frozen personality. Zainab, who makes jewelry and sells it on the street, is wary of the older American now living in the apartment, but is willing to go along with Tarak. There is a wonderful drum session in Central Park. Then a sudden twist of fate turns this movie into a very different story, one that soon involves Tarak’s mother, played by the elegant Israeli Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass.
I won’t give away what happens, but I can tell you that you won’t soon forget the outcome of this movie. There are many quiet pleasures to be had in “The Visitor,” not the least of which is the New York backdrop. The characters are believable and human, beautifully underplayed by a strong cast. There are moments of great joy and a powerful undercurrent of sadness. Life is like that.
“The Visitor” is a perfect little movie for an imperfect world. It’s rated PG-13 for adult language and situations.
posted by The Grappling Greek at
1:22 PM
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