Gerald Wright's Movie Coverage
THE VISITOR MOVIE REVIEW
Directed & Written by: Thomas McCarthy
Running time: 103 minutes
Release date: April 11, 2008
Genre: Drama and Comedy
Distributor: Overture Films
MPAA Rating: PG-13
This is a story of immigration, love and friendship set in New York City. Actor turned writer/director Thomas McCarthy has made a winning film, and has definitively become a positive force in the film industry. McCarthy is known both for his critically acclaimed film The Station Agent in 2003 as well as his acting credits in films such as Good Night and Good Luck, Syriana and Flags of our Fathers.
The Visitor stars Richard Jenkins as Walter Vale, a 62 year old economics professor from Connecticut, who finds himself lacking drive and enthusiasm in his work. Richard Jenkins is a veteran character actor and is best known as the ghost father in HBO's Six Feet Under. Vale spends his time attempting to learn how to play the piano. This plot element is appropriately set up early in the film to show how he mourns the death of his wife who was a classical pianist.
Vale has to attend a conference in New York City where he keeps an apartment that is seldom used. When he arrives at the apartment, Walter finds a couple occupying it without his permission. Evidently, this is a sublease scam by the management company of the building. The illegal young occupants are Tarek Khalil (Haaz Sieman), a Syrian man, and Zainab (Danai Jekesai Gurira), his Senegalese girlfriend. They are forced to leave the premises but have no where to go. The fact that they are illegal immigrants makes matters worse as they don't want to roam the streets of New York.
Tarek is a very pleasing man who plays percussion drums with a local group of musicians. Zaninab, who is a very cautious woman, makes and sells African jewelry in a flea market. Both work hard at what they do, but stay under the radar of "the system" in fear of being caught illegally in the U.S. With no where to go, Walter reluctantly offers to share his apartment with the couple until they can get themselves settled into another place to live. Tarek and Walter become friends. Soon Tarek teaches Walter how to play the drums. They hang out at the small jazz clubs in Greenwich Village and SoHo. Walter's depression vanishes and the two find out that their cultural differences are building blocks to a warm friendship.
All this comes to an end when Tarek gets arrested by N.Y.C. Transit Police (subway cops) for a ridiculous fare violation. The problems now escalate for Tarek because the immigration department gets involved and he is imprisoned at a detention center. Walter tries to come his aid by hiring an attorney, but before any real action can be taken, Tarek is being processed for deportation. In the midst of Walter's visiting Tarek at the detention center and trying to lift Zainab's spirits, Tarek's mother Mourna (Hiam Seldes) arrives from Michigan. She accepts Walters' invitation to take a room in his apartment during her visit in New York. Soon, while attempting to find a way to help Tarek, these two widowed people from different cultures find loving feelings for each other. I won't be a spoiler and disclose the results of this film, but I will tell you that it is an ending that only real life offers in these circumstances.
There are a few effective things in this film that are very impressive. One thing is the locale of New York City as the backdrop setting for The Visitor. New York City serves as its own character in this movie as the vibrant atmosphere of the city and its residents add a real sense of authenticity which enhances the theme and mood of the film. The authenticity of The Visitor goes as far as to include actual street musicians (some of which I personally recognized) in various scenes.
The second highly effective element I wanted to point out is the very moving portrayal of each character in very controversial topics concerning bigotry, terrorism, illegal immigration and the policies concerning those topics. The film never really forced an opinion on the audience concerning the pros and cons or the rights and wrongs on the U.S. Immigration Laws. It allowed me to feel the anguish and confusion of Walter, a person trying to help a friend in trouble and finding a purpose in his life. The actors were appropriately cast and believable without having the prestigious Hollywood names to influence an audience.
This is a very serious film with many warm and sincere moments.
FILM RATING (A) |
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