Movie Review: The Visitor

If you are a fan of “Six Feet Under” you will be familiar with actor Richard Jenkins who portrayed the patriarch of the Fisher family. Jenkins was brilliant in his role then and he earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination for best actor in “The Visitor”, a character completely opposite of his role in the “Six Feet Under” series.

Jenkins layered performance is superb and understated in this gem of a film. The movie follows the predictable Professor Walter Vale who has shut down and tuned out of life. A required attendance at a conference changes the professor’s life and the lives of those he meets forever.

The direction and screenplay are excellent, with strong supporting performances provided by Haaz Sleiman, Hiam Abbass Danai and Jekesai Gurira. Character actors are generally the best actors around and Jenkins is a character actor. Jenkins carries the film to a higher level. Film viewers will be fascinated with the inner life of Professor Vale.

The study of human behavior and culture in “The Visitor” screenplay is riveting and the characters in this story are unforgettable. This is a “must see” film that is not to be missed.

2007. Written and directed by Thomas McCarthy. Starring Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman, Hiam Abbass Danai and Jekesai Gurira.

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