Pop Culture Reviews

The Visitor – DVD Review

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Distributor: Rialto Distribution  Released: 2007 Genre: Drama/Romance Credits: Director: Thomas McCarthy Writer: Thomas McCarthy Starring: Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira, Hiam Abbass  Rating: M

From the director of The Station Agent comes the equally touching and brilliant movie, ‘The Visitor’.

Extremely strong and emotive performances by lead Richard Jenkins as well as the supporting cast gives The Visitor the emotional undercurrent that a drama of this magnitude truly needs.

A story of how complete strangers can fully transform each other can easily come across as really insensitive and transparent if it isn’t handled with the appropriate care. Thomas McCarthy has no problems in this area (and I loved his work with The Station Agent).

The character of Professor Walter Vale (portrayed wonderfully by Richard Jenkins) really reminded me of so many people I’ve known and to some degree, his character reminded me alot of myself – of how easy it is to fall into the mudane nature of living to exist, and not really living to live.

If you’ve seen The Station Agent, you’ll thoroughly enjoy The Visitor. It’s a beautifully touching story of a man who finds a part of himself in the least likely of places and in doing so, realises just how much of life he is missing out on.

Just brilliant.