The Visitor | Christian Toto saw | ENTERTAINMENT
The Visitor
May/09/08 09:32 PM Filed in: Christian Toto
saw
The new indie drama from writer/director Tom McCarthy ("The Station Agent") takes a soft pro-illegal immigration stance. But audiences of every ideological stripe will find something to embrace in this heartfelt story.
Richard Jenkins, a character actor by trade, plays a widowed professor named Walter whose life lacks anything resembling a spark.
While Zainab keeps her distance from Walter, Tarek bonds with him over their mutual love of music. Tarek even teaches Walter how to play the African drum, which leads to some richly comic moments in which Walter casts aside his physical atrophy. McCarthy's firm hand makes sure these sequences never insult Walter.
A lesser director would have milked the scenes for all their obvious humor while eroding our attachment to Walter.
An innocent misunderstanding at a subway station leads to Tarek's arrest by some overzealous officers. Walter vouches for his friend's innocence, but not before the police learn of Tarek's illegal status. He's thrown in a nearby detention center while Walter and Zainab hire a lawyer to argue his case.
"The Visitor" benefits from pinpoint casting, from Jenkins' beautifully rendered performance to Sleiman's appealing presence. Here's an actor we'll be seeing much more from soon, if there's any cinematic justice. His uncomplicated smile alone may be his ticket to fame.
The introduction of Tarek's mother (Hiam Abbass) deepens the story as well as the stakes for Walter. Their scenes together reverberate with quiet passion, and each actor brings the ideal amount of reticence to their performances. It's so rare to see two older actors attempt romance on screen, and even more uncommon that such a pairing can move us as this does.
Some of McCarthy's symbolism in the film's second half can be clumsy. It's clear where the writer/director stands regarding immigration rights, but he still feels the need to unnecessarily demonize the opposition.
Those maladroit moments don't diminish "The Visitor's" power as a uniting tale of recovery and loss.
"The Visitor"
Overture Films
Three Donne mandalas out of five
Web site: www.thevisitorfilm.com
— Christian Toto
