Almost every film released these days seems to come prefaced by months of hype, excessive product placements and tie-ins, and expectations that few films can hope to live up to. But every so often, a small little film will bubble up through the surface and manage to satisfy filmgoers in a way that most of the blockbusters fail to achieve. Last year, that film was called Once. This year, it was The Visitor, Thomas McCarthy’s long-awaited follow-up to 2003’s The Station Agent. And while so many fledgling writer/directors seem to be one-trick ponies, McCarthy managed not only to prove he’s no fluke, but for me, managed to surpass the debut film.
The Visitor is the story of Walter Vale, a college professor who is summoned to New York City for a conference, only to find that a couple of illegal immigrants, Tarek and Zainab, have been living in his apartment through a shady subletting agreement that Vale had no knowledge of. While the couple seems eager to leave in order to avoid any sort of confrontation, Vale decides to take them in as they have nowhere else to go. And from there, Vale forms an unlikely friendship with Tarek, while things remain a bit icy with Zainab. However, when unfortunate circumstances lead to Tarek’s arrest and detention, Vale’s long-dormant sense of purpose is reawakened in a fight to keep Tarek from being extradited.
While so many films could politicize the issue of illegal immigration or go for the obvious tug at the heartstrings, McCarthy lays the story out so that any emotional response to the story is earned rather than forced. And while McCarthy deserves every bit of the acclaim that has gone his way, it wouldn’t work if not for the performances. Richard Jenkins, who up until this film, was just the guy I knew as the father in Six Feet Under, carries this film wonderfully. Although 2008 is inching toward the third act, I can’t think of a single leading male performance that is as worthy of Oscar consideration as Jenkins’ performance in this film. There was never a moment that rang false for me, and while it may lack that obvious Oscar clip, I really do hope his performance is remembered.
And for as good as Jenkins is here, he doesn’t carry the film alone. In particular, Haaz Sleiman also does phenomenal work here as Tarek, as does Hiam Abbass, who plays Tarek’s mother, who appears in the latter half of the film.
As mentioned above, a big part of why this film works is that it came unburdened with expectations. Although it seems to be mostly out of theaters now, I would say that I recommend that you see it upon its DVD release in October. But don’t let the praise it’s garnered color your perceptions. It’s a film best viewed without any preconceived notions or unfair expectations. Last year, when recommending Once to a friend upon it‘s DVD release, I told him that it was a good film that he should see, but that it was very simple. I intentionally said something similar to him about The Visitor, and the following weekend, he said he saw it and loved it, but it was anything but simple. I smiled and thought “Exactly!” But, I wasn’t going to say that for someone going into the film amidst a modest level of hype. For those who will be checking it out on DVD, I’d tell you the same. It’s nice but rather simple. That’s where you’re expectation dials should be set. And hopefully, you’ll be able to share the pleasant surprise that many of us experienced in the theater.
–bradcar77