The Visitor
| The Visitor |
Beyond The Visitor
Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Hallmark type sentimentalityThe movie started off promising but disappointed me completely. It just reinforces stereotypes instead of dispelling them. I understand it is quite possible for one to take an irrational interest in other people's lives but if I know anything about human relationships this doesn't happen unless both parties are at least cordial with each other. In this case, the black lady (I must say, a drop dead gorgeous black lady because uhm it is a weak movie that just needs an audience on any ground possible) was unnecessarily rude to the professor till the middle of the movie. The (again very good looking) Syrian guy is nice enough but his mum needs a punch on her face for expecting a complete stranger to a) take her to Queens b) take her to a Broadway show c) just treat her like a princess The characterization was weak. They seemed to be angry for no reason all the time. And worried for no reason. Sure, deportation is cause for worry but their anger and fear were just misplaced. And such Hallmark-type of drama. A university professor misses his flight to take an Arab lady to a detention centre just because she wants to see the area that her son is in (Mind you, her son is not dying.. worst case he us just going to go back to his country). The oh-so pleasant and easy bonding between the black girlfriend and Arab lady just minutes after the Arab lady is surprised to see that her son's girlfriend is "so black". The unnecessary tears. The ridiculous sentimental BS. Argh! I almost hit my head against the wall. There are far worse horrors in this world than living illegally in America. I understand immigration is a big issue but the movie doesn't highlight the real problems faced by immigrants at all. I had no sympathy for those shown in the movie, so if that was the intention of the director, sorry pal.. did not work. Rating:  - Please, sir, may I have some more Richard Jenkins?This quiet, meditative no-gimmick film is one of the best of 2007. Professor of Economics Walter Vale (Jenkins in the role of a lifetime) is a lonely, prickly-pear professor who is forced to travel from his Conneticut home to New York city to deliver a colleague's paper. Upon arriving at his NYC apartment, he encounters two foreigners (the equally sexy Haaz Sleiman as the young Syrian man Tariq, and the lovely Danai Gurira as his Senegalese girlfriend Zainab). After a slight altercation, Prof. Vale finds that the two immigrants 'wuz robbed', being rented the professor's apartment by a con man. Not wishing to turn them into the street, the professor allows them to stay. What follows is such a rich, beautiful human interest film that I will not spoil it--I can only say, buy it and love it. Richard Jenkins, an Illinois native who rather shows it a bit too much in this film, is really quite fine for his 1st starring/leading man role. Up to the task is is other unknown costar, the wonderful Hiam Abbass as Tariq's beleaguered mother. This film is a powerful political statement, one that encompasses immigration law, idiot 9-11 paranoia, and the heartbreak of losing loved ones all over again, which Prof. Vale experiences here. It struck me that this film might have been flashier...but why? It didn't need to be, and so many scenes that might have been ruined by over-the-top showboating were performed with tear-inducing élan. There were even a few low-key laughs, deftly placed and quite the right balance of spices to the story. In the end, this movie is going to stand as an example of the best of this decade; again, I cannot say enough about Richard Jenkins' great performance here, his calm, cool and slightly embittered character literally changing overnight. Not just any actor could do that. Jenkins, lately of "Burn After Reading" fame, is one of those 'major' character actors whose face you will no doubt recall even if his name rings no bells at all. He's one of the best in the business; my only problem with casting Jenkins in such a low-key film is that he is easily confused with a couple of other character actors. Of course, I cannot NAME a single one of them! Anyway, get this and study closely. You will learn several things from this film, I guarantee. Rating:  - Over-ratedAnother over-rated movie. The first half is very good and draws you in. The lead actor is excellent as a quiet, isolated, middle-aged man. As he meets two younger people from outside the US, he grows to care about them and begins to come out of his shell. Very real, very sweet, very interesting in a quiet, understated way. Then in the middle of the film there's an abrupt shift. It becomes very run-of-the-mill and the characters begin turning to cardboard. All US government officials are portrayed as evil and uncaring, while all immigrants are seen as gentle and good. The USA becomes the Great Satan once again. Then there's another shift and it becomes a sweet, middle-aged love story. Not bad, but not the film I signed up to see. It ends with "the bad guys" and loneliness winning--so don't see it if you're prone to depression. Oh, and the cover picture on the DVD gives away the end. By the time you're in the middle of the film you'll be able to guess the ending because of it. An irritating, but not uncommon, practice. Bottom line: Want to see a good hour of film? Watch the first half of The Visitor. Rating: - Moving actorsI think this movie is wonderful. The actors truly captured "real" live people. Sould have gotten more press about it...a real sleeper. I even got a surprise Christmas give of my own "drum"...and love it. Watch it...and enjoy! Rating: - Sympathy towards illegal immigration.Richard Jenkins plays a lonely professor who is unhappy with his job at a Connecticut college teaching Economics. He has to go to a conference in NYC to present a colleagues paper. One reaching NYC he finds that a couple has illegally entered his apartment and are living there. The rest of the movie explores his relationship with the couple and their subsequent problems with immigration. The story arc fails to evoke any interest.It is not a bad movie but I feel that it did not deserve the attention and the critical acclaim that it received. It was just okay for me. 
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