The Visitor is the second movie from Thomas McCarthy, the writer/director of the critically acclaimed film The Station Agent. You may also recognize McCarthy’s name from some of his various low-profile acting roles, including a stint on the final season of the greatest TV show ever made (The Wire).
Much like The Station Agent, The Visitor is a subdued, but profoundly human drama (I tried to think of another way to say this because that’s how several of the other reviews put it, but sometimes there’s really only one way to accurately describe something). The story focuses on Walter Vale, a downtrodden college professor who has spent the last several years in a rut, teaching the same class and doing just enough work to keep his job. Walter, a widower, lives alone, eats alone, and generally doesn’t engage in anything more than the minimum required human contact.
He gets displaced from his comfort zone when he is forced to go to New York City to present a paper he co-authored at a conference. Upon arriving at the apartment he owns–but hasn’t been to in years–in the city, he discovers that a young African-Islamic couple has been living there for months, paying rent to some guy who isn’t Walter.
After initially kicking the couple out, Walter has a change of heart and invites them to stay as long as they need after realizing they have nowhere to go. What follows is a moving story of the power of human connection that doesn’t rely on cliches or convenient plot devices.
The film’s writing and acting is superb on all accounts. Richard Jenkins, who plays Walter, gives depth to a character who could have ended up being stagnant and exceedingly unlikable in less capable hands. Haaz Sleiman delivers a breakthrough performance as Tarek, the djembe playing male half of the young Islamic couple. One might imagine that it would be difficult for an actor to generate sympathy for a character who is an illegal Islamic immigrant in NYC in today’s society, but Sleiman really does excellent work.
Perhaps The Visitor’s best scenes, however, come toward the end of the film, as Walter slowly but surely forges a bond with Mouna, Tarek’s mother. The two characters couldn’t possibly have less in common, but some of the moments they share literally almost brought me to tears (something that never happens to me in movies).
Overall, I have to give The Visitor my highest of recommendations. It isn’t something to watch if you’re looking for an action-packed thrill ride, but if you simply love movies and are looking for something a little under the radar that may truly blow you away, this is the film for you. So check it out and thank me later.
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Thanks for the review. I’ve been meaning to see that movie.
glad i could help, you’ll have to report back and share what you thought.