The Visitor Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 05.08.2008
What would you do if someone had been secretly living in your apartment? See this terrific film to find out.
Richard Jenkins: Walter Vale
Haaz Sleiman: Tarek Khalil
Danai Jekesai Gurira: Zainab
Hiam Abbass: Mouna Khalil
Marian Seldes: Barbara
Maggie Moore: Karen
Michael Cumpsty: Charles
Richard Kind: Jacob
Written/Directed By: Thomas McCarthy
Release Date: April 11, 2008
Running Time: 108 minutes
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.
At the screening I attended for Writer/Director Thomas McCarthy’s new film The Visitor, he described how he tackles his screenplays. He said the individual characters are formed first, and later he figures out how to assemble them into one story. As he was speaking, I was struck by his easygoing attitude and honest manner. It is remarkable that his previous independent effort, The Station Agent, has not been seen by a wider audience. Such a capable and kind filmmaker should receive more attention in how patiently he approaches his projects. However he writes a script, McCarthy found the perfect glue to connect his characters in The Visitor. It is a gentle and moving drama that ranks with the season's finest.
Walter Vale is a University professor who lives by himself in a suburban Connecticut home. He loathes his job, and tries hard to find joy in something else outside the workplace. Piano lessons are attempted, but do not go well. All of a sudden, a paper he had little to do with, but nevertheless is half responsible for, changes his life when it returns. Walter must travel to New York City to make a presentation on this paper. Upon his arrival, he enters his apartment, which has not been used in a long time. Surprisingly, someone else is living there. Specifically, they are Tarek Khalil and his girlfriend Zainab. All parties feel awkward and embarrassed by the situation, but Walter offers to have them stay until a new place is located. Through a love for music, Tarek and Walter become unlikely friends. Little does Walter realize, but Tarek and Zainab are illegal immigrants, and this comes back to haunt them during a run in with authorities.
Thomas McCarthy wrote the part of Walter Vale with Richard Jenkins in mind. Up until know, Jenkins fell into that category of competent character actors who had a healthy resume, but nothing identifiable to be known for. He is one of those faces you might recognize, but probably won’t remember his name. Jenkins disappears into the role with amazing dedication and ease. The strength of his performance rests in what little he does. Walter is a man whose job leaves him lifeless and whose extracurricular activities never click. When he meets Tarek, it’s as if he was given a better prescription for his glasses and can finally see clearer to the point where he feels revitalized. Praise for Jenkins will most certainly not extend past a critic’s positive review, but regardless, he is wonderful to watch. His portrayal is one of the year's early best.
Haaz Sleiman’s status will no doubt improve due to his heartwarming depiction of Tarek, a Syrian immigrant that gets caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. What makes his fate so emotional is how quickly he was arrested for an action that could have happened to anyone that uses a subway system. This unusual story succeeds not just because of Jenkins, but because of the unforeseen chemistry between Sleiman and Jenkins. Chemistry is a smooth fluid motion in The Visitor, and it can be observed with Tarek and Zainab as well. Danai Jekesai Gurira is a rigid female who does not bond with Walter as rapidly. Humorously, Tarek has the ideal persona to tame a woman like her. Special admiration is in store for Hiam Abbass, who lends a touching turn as Mouna, Tarek’s loyal mother.
Recalling the mood and tone of The Station Agent, McCarthy reveals his adeptness as a director out of the experience he has as an actor. He allows the cast a lot of freedom. Many sequences let the camera shoot with little to no dialogue. He captures these subtle and uncomfortable moments in our existence as proficiently as any fresh filmmaker. The integration of music, and how natural it weaves through the plot is marvelously executed and vital to the atmosphere. Walter and Tarek talk about, listen to, and play these drums with passion and enthusiasm. Those who have seen this movie might think twice the next time you stroll past a random person beating the drum in the subway.
McCarthy respects and understands his cast and screenplay in equal measure. He knows how much of his prepared ingredients must be mixed, and at what speed to develop his intended vision. The Visitor does indeed address the post-9/11 culture and stance in terms of people with Middle Eastern descent, but it refrains from any ham-fisted or overly blunt allegations. McCarthy’s line of attack is more meditative and affecting in exhibiting how our society has changed. This is an eloquent, humble, and informative human drama that absolutely never exaggerates the circumstances, and never steps over a line.
McCarthy also stated in the interview that he could have cast a more popular star in the lead. It was perfectly within reach to raise the budget and head in a different direction, but he remained firm to his objective, and in turn he can sleep at night knowing he attained the best possible result with the outstanding Richard Jenkins. The Journey of Walter Vale raises several questions and offers no tidy or obvious absolution or resolution, but unlocks a new phase of living for him. The Visitor is not pretentious or preachy, but delicate and fulfilling. Even after time has passed since watching, its raw poignancy stills percolates my mind.
The 411: The Visitor was another Spring release that went overlooked primarily because of the fact that it was placed in only a few theaters in the standard major cities. It will probably only receive one or two rows in the rental stores, so my advice is to remember the title, and/or save it to your Netflix. Add The Station Agent while you're at it, and you’ll notice how skilled a writer and director Thomas McCarthy truly is. I’m not sure when we’ll see another effort from him, but I’m looking forward to it. He takes the most improbable of performers and transforms them with his sincere storylines. Richard Jenkins is fantastic in the lead, and the rest of the cast is superb as well. The Visitor is one of the more satisfying experiences of 2008.
