See this film.

The Visitor is one of those 'under the radar' type films that you probably never heard of but you should make it a point to see.

It is an affecting drama, and is one of the best movies I have seen all year.

Walter (regular character actor Richard Jenkins) is a widowed, weary, slightly depressed college professor who is asked by his Connecticut university to present a paper at a conference in NYC. He has no desire to go - he has no zest left for life. He's been teaching the same class for twenty years and has been working on a book that it is obvious he is not interested in finishing. He tries to get out of the obligation to speak at the conference, but can't.

So he heads to NYC, to an apartment that he owns but infrequently stays at. When he arrives, he finds a couple living there. They aren't exactly squatters, they thought they were subletting the apartment from a trusted source . At first the embarrassed couple intend to leave, but after some consideration, Walter invites them to stay until they find a place.

Tarek (well played by Haaz Sleiman) is from Syria, his girlfriend Zainab (Danai Jekesai Gurira) is from Senegal ( in north western Africa) - and unfortunately, they are illegal immigrants.

Tarek is a musician, a drummer to be exact - and he lived with his mother in Michigan for three years before coming to New York to play his music.
Walter is fascinated by Tarek's skill on the drum, as he has tried taking piano lessons from 5 teachers with no success. It is obvious he loves music, and you find out his deceased wife was a very accomplished pianist.

Soon, Tarek begins to show Walter a few drumming techniques, and Walter starts practicing, really finding a niche - it opens his heart and his soul like nothing for years has been able to do.




One day at the subway, Tarek is arrested for a silly reason (a trumped up charge), and it is obvious at the time that the cops are extra hard on him because of his nationality. Naturally, after his arrest they find out he is here illegally and he is sent to a detention center to await deportation.

Walter goes to the center every day to see his new friend, and hires a lawyer to try to help him.
Tarek's girlfriend is unable to go see him because she, too, would be put in the center, so Walter brings letters from her and puts them up to the glass for Tarek to read.

Tarek's mother Mouna (Hiam Abbass) then shows up at Walter's apartment because she has not heard from him, and she and Walter develop a close relationship as well while trying to sort through the legalities that keep Tarek imprisioned.

It really makes you re-think immigration laws and how things are handled here. How people are treated is unjust and cruel. I realize they are here illegally, and while I absolutely do NOT condone that, this movie puts you on the side of the immigrant. When you see how much they want to be here and that all immigrants are not terrorists, you come to realize, as Walter does, that not everyone is from that axis of evil.

This is a great film, and just goes to show you that people are still out there making really well thought out, independent films with true meaning and integrity.
Not everything has to be a blockbuster.

Highly recommended.