Cast: Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbass, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira, Marian Seldes, Richard Kind and Michael Cumpsty
Director: Tom McCarthy
Studio Synopsis: Sixty-two-year-old Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is sleepwalking through his life. Having lost his
passion for teaching and writing, he fills the void by unsuccessfully trying to learn to play classical
piano. When his college sends him to Manhattan to attend a conference, Walter is surprised to find
a young couple has taken up residence in his apartment. Victims of a real estate scam, Tarek
(Haaz Sleiman), a Syrian man, and Zainab (Danai Gurira), his Senegalese girlfriend, have
nowhere else to go. In the first of a series of tests of the heart, Walter reluctantly allows the couple
to stay with him.
Touched by his kindness, Tarek, a talented musician, insists on teaching the aging
academic to play the African drum. The instrumentÕs exuberant rhythms revitalize WalterÕs faltering
spirit and open his eyes to a vibrant world of local jazz clubs and Central Park drum circles. As the
friendship between the two men deepens, the differences in culture, age and temperament fall
away.
After being stopped by police in the subway, Tarek is arrested as an undocumented citizen
and held for deportation. As his situation turns desperate, Walter finds himself compelled to help his new friend with a passion he thought he had long ago lost. When TarekÕs beautiful mother
Mouna (Hiam Abbass) arrives unexpectedly in search of her son, the professorÕs personal
commitment develops into an unlikely romance.
ItÕs through these newfound connections with three virtual strangers that Walter is
awakened to a new world and a new life.
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 103 minutes
Official Web site: http://www.thevisitorfilm.com/
Trailer: www.apple.com/trailers/independent/thevisitor
Reviews:
EDGE Miami (B+)
Metromix South Florida (4 1/2 out of 5 stars)
The Miami Herald (3 out of 4 stars)
The Palm Beach Post (A-)
The Sun-Sentinel (3 1/2 out of 4 stars) |