The Visitor

In these troubled times, cinematic commentaries on American political issues are about a dime a dozen, but few have successfully lowered these global concerns to a personal level without becoming didactic, clichéd or self-conscious. Writer/director Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent) avoids all these trappings with his latest film, The Visitor, the simple story of a resigned academic who finds new passion and purpose through an unlikely friendship. It's through an unusual set of circumstances that Walter (Richard Jenkins, Six Feet Under) comes into contact with Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and Zainab (Danai Guirira); they are victims of a real estate scam and living in Walter's New York appartment under the mistaken impression that he's aware of their presence. This comical beginning grows into a connection that swiftly reawakens Walter, musically, socially and politically.

To describe only The Visitor's storyline, however, is to do it a disservice. The film's success lies not so much in the plot as it does in its heartfelt script, subtle direction and touching performances. Even though the plot twists in all the expected directions and the characters all walk down predictable paths, McMarthy ensures that all these turns remain somehow surprising. There's a restraint to his writing that keeps every development devastating in its sheer believability. And, thankfully, even the most emotionally wrecking scenes are kept far removed from the kind of sensationalism that films such as this so often succumb to. The power of this film instead rests in subtleties; you'll see this in the gradual shift of Walter's posture, in the flickers of amusement that cross Tarek's face, and in those moments of despair that are marked only by silence. It's impossible not to be touched by this film; it's utterly devastating in its exploration of America's immigration policy, and yet somehow remains an uplifting story of human connection.