THE VISITOR (2008) (****)
9 10 2008 |
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Thomas McCarthy is an actor who has been in a lot of good films and TV series you probably have seen — MEET THE PARENTS, SYRIANA, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, MICHAEL CLAYTON, THE WIRE, LAW & ORDER. But even when I look at his picture his face doesn’t stick out from those productions. This is not a criticism, just an observation. However, his directing and writing work is unforgettable. I placed his 2003 feature debut STATION AGENT at #3 on my top-25 list from that year. His latest film will certainly be among the top of my 2008 best of list as well.
Prof. Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins, BURN AFTER READING) is a sad man, just going through the motions of life. When he’s asked to present a paper he co-authored at a conference, he tells a friend that he doesn’t feel comfortable doing so because his co-author really did all the work. With no alternative, he travels from Connecticut, where he teaches, to New York City where he has kept an apartment for years, but rarely visits. When he arrives, he discovers Tarek (Haaz Sleiman, TV’s 24) and Zainab (Danai Jekesai Gurira, GHOST TOWN) living in his place. Someone has scammed them into thinking the apartment was open for rent. Because they have no place to go, Walter kindly allows them to stay until they can find someplace to go.
Categories : Reviews, Drama
