The Visitor (2007/I)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Thomas McCarthy

Writer:

Thomas McCarthy (written by)

Release Date:

18 April 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Connection is everything

Plot:

A college professor travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his apartment.

Plot Keywords:

New York City | College | Professor | Apartment | Illegal Immigrant

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 12 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Richard Jenkins	...	Prof. Walter Vale
Haaz Sleiman	...	Tarek Khalil
Danai Jekesai Gurira	...	Zainab (as Danai Gurira)
Hiam Abbass	...	Mouna Khalil
Marian Seldes	...	Barbara
Maggie Moore	...	Karen
Michael Cumpsty	...	Charles
Bill McHenry	...	Darin
Richard Kind	...	Jacob
Tzahi Moskovitz	...	Zev
Amir Arison	...	Mr. Shah
Neal Lerner	...	Martin Revere
Ramon Fernandez	...	Cop #1
Frank Pando	...	Cop #2
Waleed Zuaiter	...	Omar

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Arabic | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:PG | USA:PG-13 | UK:15 | Ireland:PG | Australia:M | Sweden:Btl | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:Atp | South Korea:All

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Groundswell Productions

Trivia:

The parking lot in which Walter parks his car after arriving in New York--on East 11th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue--was torn down shortly after the film was released.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As Mouna (Hiam Abbass) and Walter (Richard Jenkins) are becoming closer, Mouna calls Walter Richard--his real name--rather than the character's name.

Quotes:

Prof. Walter Vale: We are not helpless children!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Open and Close

Sensitive & Thoughtful Film

Thomas McCarthy's 2nd film after the wonderful "Station Agent" is equally good, if not better. I can't recommend Richard Jenkins' performance any higher here. He plays a widowed professor who is drifting through life rather aimlessly until he visits his New York apartment and finds there are two people squatting there. I won't give away anything else, except to say that it'll be a shame if this film flies under the radar. Jenkins is a character actor that everyone recognizes, but that few of us know. Here he occupies the first third of the film practically alone, and reminds us in moments of the Jack Nicholson character from "About Schmidt" with his dry humor that is on display for his crabby piano teacher.

Don't you just love watching an actor up there alone who keeps you spellbound in a subtle way? That's how this movie starts, and gradually we come to meet the couple in Jenkins' apartment, and the mother of one of them. The movie flows economically and with much care, but by the end it creeps up on us and makes us feel glad along the way as well as making us pause and reflect on the state of our world.

Lovely, lovely movie.