The Visitor (2007)

*ing: Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbass, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira
Genre: Drama

I am super impressed by Richard Jenkins and Tom McCarthy. Richard Jenkins is flawless in playing a lonely professor leading a very boring mundane life until a visit to his New York apartment changes it all. Tom McCarthy has proved himself to be a director / writer of a caliber that demands respect and appreciation. 

'The Visitor' is what I call Globalization :) An American Professor Walter (Richard Jenkins) meets an immigrant African drums player Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) who is a Syrian  and a Senegalese handicraft artist Zenab (Danai Gurira) who happens to be Tarek's girl friend at his apartment. 'The Visitor' is shot post 9/11 incident and to some extent highlights the plight of immigrants in the US. Anyway, the movie is not about what happened post 9/11. The script centers on Jenkins character Walter. Walter befriends Tarek and Zenab after the two staying in his long deserted apartment and develops an interest in the young couple. Walter who always been wanting to learn to play the Piano rather unsuccessfully takes a liking to the African Drum Tarek plays in the night clubs of New York. Music brings Walter and Tarek close to each other and Walter seems to have discovered the missing ingredient in his life, his passion for Music is re-ignited. However, fate has a twist and Tarek is held up by the deportation authorities and that brings Tarek's concerned mother Mouna Khalil into the picture and life of Walter. How the screenplay progresses here on is truly a delight to watch. 

The Visitor may be slow by certain standards but it's never a dull moment. The slow, simple story manages to impress it's audience thanks to Richard Jenkins performance, the diversity of the characters around him and the gentle twists in the screenplay that transform Jenkins character on his arrival to New York. Director / Writer Tom McCarthy proves he is an excellent Indie director

Bottom-Line: 'The Visitor' impresses with it's characters, it's screenplay and the music. It's slow, simple, light and as the screenplays progresses it brews into a very interesting watch. Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbass are impressive and display an amazing chemistry. Truly a movie that deserves a standing ovation. 10/10 for this one and hats off to Tom McCarthy. 

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0857191/
Rottentomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10008820-visitor/