The Visitor
by Tom McCarthy
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Hazz Sleiman, Hiam Abbas, Richard JenkinsDirector: Tom McCarthy
Brand: JENKINS,RICHARD
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD, HiFi Sound, NTSC, Surround Sound, THX, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 104 minutes
Published: 2008
DVD Release Date: 2008-10-07
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: ANCHOR BAY
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- Anamorphic; Color; Dolby; DVD; HiFi Sound; NTSC; Surround Sound; THX; Widescreen
Movie Reviews of The Visitor
Movie Review: Visit This Wonderful Film On DVD Soon.
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Walter Vale is a burnt-out college teacher living in Connecticut, who, at this point in his career, is simply going through the motions. Recently a widower, Walter is a quiet reserved man who keeps to himself and doesn't have much passion for anything in life these days. He begrudgingly accepts the task of going back to his hometown of New York City in order to give a lecture on a paper he co-authored, but didn't really work much on. When he arrives at his old apartment, which he hasn't been back to in years, Walter is surprised to find a man and woman already living inside. The two want no trouble and agree to leave, but Walter, feeling bad for them, agrees to allow them to stay. It turns out that both are illegal immigrants. Zainah, the woman, is very quiet and reserved, and keeps a cool emotional distance from Walter. On the other hand, Tarek, her boyfriend, is quite open and kind with Walter, who shows an interest in the instrument he plays, an African drum known as the djembe. Tarek begins to teach Walter how to play and the two soon become fast friends.
Unfortunately things get ugly for Tarek. He is arrested, while entering the local subway with Walter, and taken to a detention center for illegal immigrants, where he could wind up being deported. Despite pressures from his boss to return to Connecticut, Walter agrees to stay in New York City in order to help. Eventually he meets Tarek's mother, Mouna, who after not hearing from her son, journeys from her home in Michigan to find out what has happened. She and Walter become close as the two do everything they can to help Tarek get released.
Writer/Director Tom McCarthy, who already showed his expertise for the intricacies of interpersonal relationships with his previous film, The Station Agent, does so again here with The Visitor. Except now another element has been added to the mix, which is the heavier theme of illegal immigrants living in the United States. This theme is handled very well, in an honest and straightforward manner. The acting in the film is first-rate. Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under) does a fine job as Walter Vale, showcasing a man whose empty life has now found hope and meaning. Newcomers, Haaz Sleiman (Tarek) and Danai Gurira (Zainah) are also very effective in their roles too as the struggling couple, hoping to remain together. Haaz's work with Richard Jenkins, in particular, is quite strong and effective. But the icing on the cake has got to be Hiam Abbass (The Syrian Bride, Paradise Now) as Mouna, who plays Tarek's mother so beautifully; it's like watching an actor at the top of their game. Her scenes with both Richard and Danai are simply wonderful.
Special Features Include:
Audio Commentary - with Writer/Director Tom McCarthy & Actor Richard Jenkins. (Good commentary, though Richard Jenkins says very little. Tom McCarthy explains why so many American flags wind up being seen in the film)
"An Inside Look At The Visitor" (4:48) - a short behind the scenes look at the making of the film, with interviews from Writer/Director Tom McCarthy, and Actor's Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman, and Danai Gurira. (Nice, but should have been much longer.)
"Playing The Djembe" (7:48) - a delightful featurette on the use of the djembe drum in the film, with interviews by Djembe Coach, Mohammed Naseehu Ali, Writer/Director Tom McCarthy, and Actor's Richard Jenkins (who actually played drums at a young age) & Haaz Sleiman (who never played drums at all until working on this film.)
Deleted Scenes [w/optional audio commentary] (Total Time 3:20):
"American Grill With Karen" (0:48) - this scene shows Walter stopping off at a bar and grill, while in Connecticut, and coming into contact with and old flame from his past.
"Cocktails At The Conference" (0:22) - a quick scene of Walter at the conference, with Writer/Director Tom McCarthy's brother-in-law, John, and brother, Steve playing his associates.
"Omar Says Hello" (0:56) - a friend of Tarek's greets him and Walter while they're eating at a falafel stand.
"Jacob Meets Mouna" (1:14) - Walter's neighbor, Jacob, is introduced to Mouna. This was actor Richard Kind's second scene in the film, which was cut for pacing. It further highlights the character's isolation as well as his need for companionship.
Original Theatrical Trailer (2:32)
This is a very enjoyable character based film that lives up to the praise it has received. Having seen and been impressed by both this film and The Station Agent, I look forward to Tom McCarthy's next project. He is a fine writer and director.
The Visitor
Color 104 Min. Rated PG-13
Dolby Surround 5.1
English Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired
Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1)
Full-Frame Presentation (1.33:1)
Summary of The Visitor
Hailed as "one of the year's most intriguing dramas" (Claudia Puig, USA TODAY), The Visitor stars Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under) in a perfect performance (Lisa Schwarzbaum, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY) as Walter, a disaffected college professor who has been drifting aimlessly through his life. When, in a chance encounter on a trip into New York, Walter discovers a couple has taken up residence in his apartment in the city, he develops an unexpected and profound connection to them that will change his life forever. As challenges arise for his tenants, Walter finds himself compelled to help his new friends, and rediscovers a passion he thought he had lost long ago. The year's first genuine must-see film" (Ann Hornaday, THE WASHINGTON POST) about rediscovering life's rhythms in the most unexpected placesA deeply moving drama built around longtime character actor Richard Jenkins, The Visitor is a simmering drama about a college professor and recent widower, Walter Vale (Jenkins), who discovers a pair of homeless, illegal aliens living in his New York apartment. After the mix-up is resolved, Vale invites the couple--a young, Syrian musician named Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and his Senegalese girlfriend (Danai Gurira--to stay with him. An unlikely friendship develops between the retiring, quiet Vale and the vital Tarek, and the former begins to loosen up and respond to Tarek?s drumming lessons as if something in him waiting to be liberated has finally arrived. All goes well until Tarek is hauled in by immigration authorities and threatened with deportation. His mother, Mouna (Hiam Abbass), turns up and stays with Vale, sparking a renewed if subdued interest in courtship. But the wheels of injustice in immigration crush all manner of hopes in post-9/11 America. Vale soon realizes his unexpected capacity for anger over Tarek?s plight, and the positive changes to his personal life that emerged from a deep involvement with his friend and Mouna, might be the only legacy he takes from this experience. Writer-director Thomas McCarthy has created a wonderfully measured story about change and renewal, and put it all on the shoulders of Jenkins, a largely unheralded but masterful performer whose time for renown has surely come. --Tom Keogh
Stills from The Visitor (click for larger image)
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Beyond The Visitor
 On Blu-ray |  Soundtrack CD |  Also directed by Tom McCarthy |
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