The Visitor (2008)

The Visitor is a smart, educated film that should not be overlooked. The movie year has been slim on good movies to say the least. This is by far an exception.

It tells a story of a professor who is listlessly living out the last years of his life alone. He puts on a façade to the nothingness of his life. Forced to present a paper that he didn’t write at NYU or face losing face he leaves Connecticut to goes to his unused apartment in on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He finds a couple living there. He let’s them stay and befriends the dude Tarek who is a Syrian musician. Tarek teachers Walter, the professor, to play the African drum. Tarek plays the drum in a jazz band. The friendship, music and life of the couple staying with him renews his own life. During that time, the NYPD picks up Tarek and he is held in detention for his immigration status.

The movie is filled with spectacular performances by Richard Jenkins, Walter. Jenkins would be my vote for the Best Actor for this year. Haaz Sleiman plays the charismatic Tarak, and Danai Jekesia Guira plays his girlfriend. All three of them give a very realistic performance, and the audience is intrigued by their character development.

I like the themes in this movie. In the movie the characters have realistic challenges and are often powerless in their own struggle. Life in New York and America can be overwhelming, but the theme of life coming through and is heartwarming. Tarak is put into the criminal justice system which leads to immigration detention. The movie does a good job at conveying the process, and the hopelessness of it.

There is a little business where Walter goes out with Tarak’s mom, which is a little weird, but not as weird as You don’t mess with the Zohan; if you saw that movie then you know what I mean.

Another thing I like about this film was the character of New York City. The locations are some of the best of the city. There are many shots of the Village in the NYU area. It captures the life of it well.

There are no happy endings in The Visitor, but the essence of the characters stay with you and the image of a 60 year old man carrying around an African drum is endearing.