With "The Visitor," writer-director Tom McCarthy proves that "The Station Agent" (2003) was not beginner's luck, a fluke or anything of that ilk. McCarthy is an incredibly talented writer and filmmaker and with "The Visitor," he handles an important social issue with understatement, grace and honesty that make the story all the more compelling and trenchant.
There's nothing preachy about McCarthy's tale - a widowed professor (Richard Jenkins) befriending two illegal immigrants in his New York apartment and slowly finding his quiet, rather uneventful life having a purpose.
There are countless immigration stories to be told in this country. And there are countless ones post-9/11, when this government, aided by a complacent and terrified citizenry, decided to single out Muslims, Arabs or anyone who looked like one. We threw people in jail for the flimsiest reasons or no reason at all, deported hundreds, again for very little reason, and then insisted it had nothing to do with racial or ethnic profiling. It was to keep us safe. Poppycock!
Just as McCarthy made Peter Dinklage a star in "The Station Agent," he has found the ideal role for veteran character actor Richard Jenkins. I have always been a fan of Jenkins' work. Take a look at him in "Flirting With Disaster" (1996), "North Country" (2007) or even the execrable comedy, "Rumor Has It..." (2005), and you'll realize this guy's a treasure.
As Walter Vale, Jenkins grabs us from the initial moments of this film right to the very end. We understand his melancholy and appreciate and enjoy his transformation. You never, for even an instant, see Jenkins acting. McCarthy wrote the role for Jenkins and the actor completely becomes Walter without the slightest hint of a performance. It was what makes Jenkins' performance one of the most memorable of the year. It would be a real shame if he is not nominated for an Academy Award for this role.
McCarthy clearly loves minimalist film-making and storytelling, The story is simple here, but it's packed with such immense emotion. There are wonderful touches peppered throughout the film. (Just watch how the wallpaper on Walter's computer changes.)
The film really takes off when Walter meets Mouna (Hiam Abbass) and the man realizes he has yet another reason to live. Their moments together are so beautifully performed; there isn't a forced or false moment between the two. They can turn a mundane dinner into something rich and incredibly rewarding.
"The Visitor" could easily have been a preachy film riddled with sentimentality. But McCarthy avoids all those trappings. Every emotion in this movie is earned. He manages to indict our system without overtly showing how blatantly xenophobic this nation has become, thanks to a ridiculously ignorant and arrogant government.
McCarthy's film raises a lot of questions and offers no easy answers. McCarthy also has the courage not to wrap everything up nicely in a red-white-and-blue ribbon. His film shows that people walk in and out of others' lives, sometimes making little difference, sometimes altering them completely. We may think we know where this film is headed, but McCarthy has a few surprises. And although there are some predictable moments (what film doesn't have them?), there is something immensely satisfying about watching this beautiful humanist drama unfold.
"The Visitor" is the kind of joyous movie-going experience that gives me faith in American independent cinema. Soon after World War II, there was Italian neo-realism. I know McCarthy's made just two movies, but I really wouldn't be surprised if, years from now, he is considered one of the pioneers of an American neo-realism movement, if you will.
There's nothing preachy about McCarthy's tale - a widowed professor (Richard Jenkins) befriending two illegal immigrants in his New York apartment and slowly finding his quiet, rather uneventful life having a purpose.
There are countless immigration stories to be told in this country. And there are countless ones post-9/11, when this government, aided by a complacent and terrified citizenry, decided to single out Muslims, Arabs or anyone who looked like one. We threw people in jail for the flimsiest reasons or no reason at all, deported hundreds, again for very little reason, and then insisted it had nothing to do with racial or ethnic profiling. It was to keep us safe. Poppycock!
Just as McCarthy made Peter Dinklage a star in "The Station Agent," he has found the ideal role for veteran character actor Richard Jenkins. I have always been a fan of Jenkins' work. Take a look at him in "Flirting With Disaster" (1996), "North Country" (2007) or even the execrable comedy, "Rumor Has It..." (2005), and you'll realize this guy's a treasure.
As Walter Vale, Jenkins grabs us from the initial moments of this film right to the very end. We understand his melancholy and appreciate and enjoy his transformation. You never, for even an instant, see Jenkins acting. McCarthy wrote the role for Jenkins and the actor completely becomes Walter without the slightest hint of a performance. It was what makes Jenkins' performance one of the most memorable of the year. It would be a real shame if he is not nominated for an Academy Award for this role.
McCarthy clearly loves minimalist film-making and storytelling, The story is simple here, but it's packed with such immense emotion. There are wonderful touches peppered throughout the film. (Just watch how the wallpaper on Walter's computer changes.)
The film really takes off when Walter meets Mouna (Hiam Abbass) and the man realizes he has yet another reason to live. Their moments together are so beautifully performed; there isn't a forced or false moment between the two. They can turn a mundane dinner into something rich and incredibly rewarding.
"The Visitor" could easily have been a preachy film riddled with sentimentality. But McCarthy avoids all those trappings. Every emotion in this movie is earned. He manages to indict our system without overtly showing how blatantly xenophobic this nation has become, thanks to a ridiculously ignorant and arrogant government.
McCarthy's film raises a lot of questions and offers no easy answers. McCarthy also has the courage not to wrap everything up nicely in a red-white-and-blue ribbon. His film shows that people walk in and out of others' lives, sometimes making little difference, sometimes altering them completely. We may think we know where this film is headed, but McCarthy has a few surprises. And although there are some predictable moments (what film doesn't have them?), there is something immensely satisfying about watching this beautiful humanist drama unfold.
"The Visitor" is the kind of joyous movie-going experience that gives me faith in American independent cinema. Soon after World War II, there was Italian neo-realism. I know McCarthy's made just two movies, but I really wouldn't be surprised if, years from now, he is considered one of the pioneers of an American neo-realism movement, if you will.