The Visitor

We watched a lovely film tonight on DVD called The Visitor. This is a Tom McCarthy film - the same fellow who directed The Station Agent (which I liked very much but Tuffy P didn't care for).

The Visitor tells the story of a professor who has lost passion for his work, his writing, and well, life. He is sent to Manhatten to a conference. It happens that he owns an apartment there, but when he arrives, he finds it occupied. It turns out that the occupants, Terek and Zainab, have rented the apartment from someone who doesn't own it. The professor, Walter Vale played by Richard Jenkins, allows the couple to stay with him in the apartment. Terek is a djembe player and starts to give Walter lessons, marking some new beginnings in his life. I won't spoil the plot here - those of you who want that can find it easily enough.

This is a beautiful film, dealing with a number of themes, including post-911 issues. It's charming, engaging, and beautifully paced.

Very fine. See this one if you get a chance.