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The Visitor (2008 movie)

62 Ratings: 2.8
A movie directed by Tom McCarthy starring Richard Jenkins

Fans of actor-director Tom McCarthy's highly praised debut, THE STATION AGENT, will not be disappointed by his second film, a gentle drama about illegal immigration. At 62, Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is sleepwalking through his quiet life as an … see full wiki

Director: Tom McCarthy
Genre: Drama
Release Date: April 18, 2008
MPAA Rating: PG-13
9 reviews about The Visitor (2008 movie)
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review by . December 17, 2009
posted in Movie Hype
Pros: Richard Jenkins, outstanding performance     Cons: none for me     The Bottom Line:   "And now they've come to take me  Come to break me  And yet it isn't unexpected  I have been waiting for these visitors"  ~performed by ABBA     A delightful day indeed it was for me when I stumbled across The Visitor. I am a huge fan of Richard Jenkins since I watched him weave his wry and witty …
review by . September 01, 2009
DVD
When Connecticut professor Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) goes to stay in his long-empty New York apartment, he is surprised to find a young couple living in it.  It seems Tarek and Zainab believed they were subletting the apartment when in fact, they were being scammed.  Walter takes pity on them and lets them stay on for a while and slowly the three become friends.  Then Tarek is detained by Immigration and a crisis ensues. This drama centers around Walter who is newly-widowed, very …
review by . May 08, 2009
This moving little movie is about the misfortune that can befall good people when they run into trouble with the machine of the state, in different countries. Asylum seekers from Syria get their asylum rejected and get deported. The Syrian mother's comment when her son gets arrested in NY: this is just like in Syria (where her husband had been jailed for his journalistic work). A good American gets personally involved with mother and son and can do nothing to help his friends. Trying to talk to …
review by . March 08, 2009
... and a brilliant performance by 'character' actor Richard Jenkins!    I'm so out-of-touch with the Cinema that I didn't know this film was a quiet hit or that Jenkins was an Oscar nominee. I picked it up as a rental because an Israeli friend recommended it as a movie that depicted Palestinians in a humane light. I certainly didn't foresee that there'd be seventy five-star reviews already posted, including several insightfuls, like the one by Rebecca Kyle.    This …
review by . November 27, 2008
posted in Movie Hype
I loved this movie. Watched it twice within 24 hours. It does deserve a good sound system and well set up television. The experience is so much better to hear those drums, and a gorgeous soundtrack.    To me, the politics took a back seat to the story about loss, recovery, finding a new life, and love. The best part of this film, the ending takes everyone by surprise. It's so perfect. It's so real life.     This was a delicate, perfectly paced film. It moved …
review by . October 21, 2008
Richard Jenkins is amazing in this film. He is one of those actors who everyone knows, but they don't quite remember how, I think that is because he truly BECOMES his character. (Oh, how I loved him recurring role in Six Feet Under, but I digress)... this is probably one of the absolute best Indie films I've seen in 2 years or so. It's touching. It's uplifting. It will make you laugh and cry and scream. I didn't like the ending in some ways, but in other ways, what else did I expect? The post-9/11 …
review by . October 17, 2008
"The Visitor"    Moving and Dramatic    Amos Lassen    I love drama about academicians, I suppose, because that is my profession. Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is a college professor and recently widowed. He discovers a pair of illegal aliens, victims of a real estate scam, living in his New York apartment. After resolving the misunderstanding, Vale invites the couple--Tarek (Haaz Sleiman), a young musician from Syria and his girlfriend, …
review by . October 11, 2008
The first thing that struck me while watching `The Visitor' is how much the protagonist reminded me of Dennis Quaid's character in `Smart People'. Although this movie was made before that one, we have a man who has a striking resemblance. Walter (Richard Jenkins) is a professor at a Connecticut college. He is a widower who is taking piano lessons, so that he can learn the same talent his wife was able to create for her C.D.'s. With his students he's tight-fisted, not giving anyone slack, while he …
review by . July 08, 2008
Just when it seems that film makers have sold out to the idea of blockbuster instant wealth, along comes the very quiet little film THE VISITOR, reassuring us that quality independent films are alive and well. Written and directed by actor Thomas McCarthy, whose only previous film in the role of writer/director was the incomparable THE STATION AGENT, this subdued little miracle of a film further examines the concept of isolated man searching for connection. The impact of this simple story of friendship …
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