jeffnichols1126
The film, The Visitor, opens with economics professor, Walter Vale, "auditioning" his fourth and final piano teacher. Walter, the widower of an accomplished classical pianist, tries to fill the void in his spiritless existence with the soundtrack of his favorite piano pieces; he proves ultimately unsuccessful in this venture. For several years, Walter had grown accustomed to the nightly ritual of eating alone, drinking a glass of red wine, and playing the bits and pieces of piano selections he had learned over time. Walter seems frozen in time, almost sleepwalking through his life. It is as if he is "visiting" his own life. Walter does not rest comfortably in his own skin, living what Oprah Winfrey refers to as his "best life." Walter resides there physically, but not emotionally or psychically. He is emotionally detached from the world he inhabits. Walter would prefer to insulate himself from the world by pretending to be busily preparing his fourth manuscript. A professional conference at N.Y.U. forces Walter out of the "ivory tower" into Manhattan, where with the help of his unexpected guide, Tarek Khalil, he faces the past, present, and future. Prior to meeting his new teacher, Walter had spent many years away from the Greenwich Village apartment he had once shared with his deceased wife. Upon returning to the apartment, Walter encounters two immigrants, Tarek (Syria) and Zainab (Senegal), living in his apartment as a result of a rent scam orchestrated by Ivan, a character we never see on camera. On the surface, these two "visitors" in Walter's life are living a much more fulfilled life than Walter. We soon discover that Tarek, a "citizen of the world," embraces people of all nationalities, ethnicities, and socio-economic, and religious backgrounds. In short, Tarek symbolizes our pre 9/11 America and its more tolerant attitude toward cultural diversity, and inclusiveness. This stands in direct contrast to the post 9/11, antagonistic, and suspicious view of immigrants who are seen as a threat to our sense of what it means to be an American. As Americans, we now feel forced to stand unified against future threats to our country. Before the horrific events on September 11, 2001, the concept of American pluralism was an unspoken "social contract" between Americans and any immigrant who reached our shores. This sentiment is best expressed by Emma Lazarus's words on the base of the Statue of Liberty, "…Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…." Walter, a native born American who not only has not visited the Statue of Liberty in person, is also unaware that visitors after 9/11 can no longer take the elevator to the top of Lady Liberty's crown. Not coincidentally, Tarek arrived in America prior to 9/11, and Zainab immigrated afterward. Their attitude towards their adopted country is reflected by this important distinction. In both cases, Tarek and Zainab enjoyed taking the Staten Island Ferry to view the Statue of Liberty. As Zainab recalled, Tarek would excitedly point to lady Liberty as a beacon of hope upon every viewing. Walter had never visited the Statue until accompanied by his two immigrant friends, Mouna and Zainab. As a well-educated, well-respected American, Walter did not need a symbol of liberty to reassure him of his place in America. Walter never had to question the inalienable rights granted to him by his forefathers, namely life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In his pursuit of happiness, Walter is freed from a self-imposed prison of malaise and despair when he befriends Tarek, who "teaches" him about life by giving him lessons on the djembe, an African drum. These drum lessons and Tarek's positive, life-affirming attitude fully transform Walter from a rigid, inflexible, emotionally shut down individual into a caring, thoughtful, sensitive "student" of life. Walter happily replaces the solitude of playing the piano with the collaborative nature of the drum circles in the park. The Visitor is an excellent film that challenges our notions of how America can reconcile the longstanding debate on immigration. Who are the real visitors to this country, both native and non-native born, and who have settled here and enriched our lives with their presence? Most importantly, who is to determine which immigrants should stay, and how can we ensure that this process upholds our principles of justice, fairness, equality, and liberty for all? The Visitor reminds us of some important lessons. We were not attacked on 9/11 by immigrants who already lived within and contributed to our country's success. We were attacked by well-financed terrorist groups that operated outside our country. Instead of indiscriminately turning our attacks inward, we need to be spending the resources to ameliorate the myriad of foreign policy choices that prompted the terrorist attack in the first place.
Adam Peters
(67%) King of under-acting Richard Jenkins is key to this sweet, yet important drama about a lonely middle aged man who does all he can to help two illegal immigrants. It would be easy to make something like this nothing more than a TV movie, but thankfully this takes on an important issue in a manner in which by all accounts makes logical sense and isn't just simply going for the easier to hit targets. Jenkins' character from the start isn't a blind do-gooder, or a somewhat mean guy who turns good for the sake of a cheap narrative. Instead he's fairly consistent and you understand, and more importantly you actually believe that this person would actually commit the beyond kind things that he does because you know exactly how he feels at that current stage in his life. This might have suited a short more than a full length picture, but it's still a good, worthwhile watch that managers to draw out sensitive issues without being preachy or sanctimonious.
g-bodyl
The Visitor is a film that is bigger than it was meant to be. It's a film that was bound to touch a number of hearts, including mine. It's a small-budget film with a simple and quite heartfelt story. The movie tackles strong post-9/11 issues such as illegal immigration and the United States ruthless deportation laws. The film also goes a long way to showing that not all foreign people are terrorists and that some are actually decent human beings and that because they are foreign, lots of assumptions and misunderstandings begin to ensue.Thomas McCarthy's film is about a middle-aged man named Walter Vale who has given up on life after his wife passed away. He is a teacher who has been teaching the same class for years and is also a big fan of music. When he goes to New York City for business, he runs into these two people who are somehow living in his apartment. But he strikes a bond with them. When one of the tenants, Tarek is about to be deported: Walter tries all he can to save his new friend.The acting is really good. The only well-known actor here is Richard Jenkins, who finally gets to shine in a leading role. He plays his character to perfection. He makes a transformation from a near unlikable man to a man who has found a will to live again. Another good performance here was from Hiam Abbass as Mouna, Tarek's mother. She delivers a heartfelt performance as the woman who experienced similar issues back in Syria.Overall, The Visitor is an excellent movie that relies upon heavy characterization. The authenticity is remarkable, and it goes to show that not all foreign people are evil monsters. Unfortunately, this is what 9/11 did to the United States. The look of the film is great and I loved the music, especially with the use of the African drums. It's a very small film, but one that deserves to be seen. I rate this film 9/10.
