This turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Character actor extrodinare Richard Jenkins plays Walter Vale a nearing retirement economics professor who's life is stuck in a major rut after his wife passes away. While attending a conference in New York he returns to his apartment after a few years away and finds that it has been subletted to an imagrant couple, without eithers knowledge. After the initial shock and confrontation Walter allows the couple to stay in the apartment with him and he slowly develops a friendship with Terek, who plays the African drum. Its through Terek teaching Walter to play the drum that allows Walter to break out of his rut and start to experience life again. The film takes a fairly predictable turn just over half way through but it doesn't diminsh the overall result. Also the Academy should take note of this film and recognize Jenkins with a nomination for best actor as he turns in an outstanding performance in his first outing as a leading actor.

Grade B+/A-

What a small movie. Tom McCarthy's approach is to use a completely no-frills visual style while giving his actors all the room they need. What a refreshingly un-self-conscious approach for a young filmmaker. And those actors do great work.

This movie broke my heart last night. I cried. A couple of times. Give The Jenk his Oscar now, please.

In fact, I think this tender, observant little piece is my favorite film of the year so far. Go figure.

My 2nd favorite film of the year, just behind Dark Knight.

This really caught me out of nowhere. With the weak slate of best picture nods, I'm hoping this film can find its way through the cracks. Just hoping people still have it in their minds when the time comes.

Grade - A

The Visitor is a very good movie. It's a powerful and moving movie that tugs at the heartstrings without being manipulative. The acting is absolutely superb, all anchored by a terrific turn from Richard Jenkins. His performance is so controlled that it's easy to see the change his character undergoes without needing many loud scenes to do so. (Though the scene where his emotions finally do run on an incredibly high level is his sure Oscar clip should he be nominated.) The next biggest standout is Hiam Abbass, who does heartbreaking work as the mother of the detained immigrant Jenkins befriends. It is heartbreaking, but also uplifting in how it shows the reinvigoration of the life of Jenkins's character. Not to be missed. A-

I'm really rooting for Jenkins to get an Oscar nomination. This is great work, and hopefully the DVD release will help continue that push.

Meh, I only got halfway through it. It's well acted and all, but these sort of predictable sentimental indie dramas don't do it for me. I'll probably finish it some other time and will hold off on a grade until then, but yeah, not a fan.

Damnit, Shack. I take that as a serious slight against The Jenk, and I will not stand for such madness. There's not enough Woody Allen in the world to make this okay.

Keep going! Who the fuck stops halfway through? It really takes off and becomes something beautiful when Hiam Abass enters the equation...you probably didn't even get that far, rotten little shit that you are.

You have no right to talk anyone down, High School Musical-lover.

Ahem, that's High School Musical-liker, sir. Actually, make that High School Musical 3-liker. The first two, not so much.

But, please, tell me more about the movie you didn't see, you open-minded charmer!

Powerful, touching, and yes, even a little heartbreaking. It's an decidedly subtle and unabashedly romantic work, but it does it very well, and thus slowly creeps under your skin. Everything - from Jenkins' terrific performance to the light-as-a-feather camerawork - works to create a portrait of these characters as isolated characters yearning for connection. And it also deals with some important 9/11 issues in a pretty deft manner. In a way, it's the anti-Crash.

I was surprised how much this affected me, but there you go.

Despite it being a good movie I was let down. It played out great but I didn't like how it ended. I don't have a problem with endings like the one it had but I just wanted something different from this film. It was like No Country For Old Men... except this time the ending didn't work at all.


B-

I don't see how it compares with the ending of No Country at all. It's not just some sudden stopping point, it's hinted at explicitly at least once in the movie, and it's even on the one-sheet. It works perfectly because it shows just how much Walter Vale changed, and served as his tribute to his dear friend. It works much better than any other direction they could have chosen.

9/10 -> A-

A wonderful movie. The cast is great, the story is very heartfelt. Everything is so simple (the story, the acting) yet everything is great. Definitely one of this year's highlights.