Joe Barber Reviews “The Visitor”

by Joe Barber on Apr.21, 2008, under Joe Barber's Movie Reviews

Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins,) the main protagonist of screenwriter/director Tom McCarthy’s new film, “The Visitor,” is a man on a treadmill. An economics professor at a college in Connecticut, he’s been teaching one class-the same class-for the last several years. He has also been research and writing a book on his specific area of knowledge for a while as well. Since the death of his pianist wife, both time and life have moved at a snail’s pace for Walter. He is comfortably numb inside the cocoon of day to day drabness he has woven for himself. An unexpected trip to New York City for a conference is the axis on which this gentle and affecting film turns.

Enterin the apartment he and his wife used to share in the city, Walter is stunned to find a young woman taking a bath in the tub. Confronted by her boyfriend, he disovers that the couple, Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and Zainaba (Danai Jekesai Gurira), were taken by a con man who told them he had the right to sub-let the flat.
Touched by their plight, Walter invites them to stay for a day or two more while they seek a new apartment. As the trio share the space, something inside Walter begins to stir, leading to the beginnings of a special friendship. When a seemingly innocent incident turns out to have devestating consequences, Walter’s new found openess is put to the test, with surprising results.

Jenkins, best know for his role as the deceased (but ever-present) head of the Fisher clan in HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” delivers a wonderful lead performance as Walter. His work is nuanced and subtle, growing steadily in passion and range as it continues. Sleiman’s genial turn as Tarek overflows with decency and humanity, while Gurira’s quiet dignity adds depth to the story and the couple’s plight. Portraying Tarek’s mother,Mouna, Haim Abbass has a screen presence that makes her work here moving and memorable.

McCarthy, whose previous film, “The Station Agent,” celebrated the life-affirming friendships among unlikely companions, takes us on a somewhat similar journey here. His main mission seems to be to examine one man’s re-discovery of his place in a world he’s long ignored, but there’s much more here than that.

Unfolding with the sure handed assurance of a story told by a skilled teller of tales, “The Visitor,” like it title, works on a number of levels while leaving viewers with plenty of things to think and talk about. This is a real gem of a movie.

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for profanity and mild sexuality
JOE’S RATING:THREE AND A HALF STARS.