Thomas McCarthy does a smash-up job portraying interpersonal relationships. His sophomore effort (follow-up to The Station Agent) is evidence. McCarthy is also an actor and a writer. He had a stint as an unethical reporter on The Wire's last season.
Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is a dead man. He leads a solitary life devoid of passion and happiness. He possesses musical wont which he chips away at through uninspired piano lessons. The most encouragement his teaches gives her desire to purchase his piano, if ever he decided to quit playing, because, in her words, he isn't very good at it. He doesn't let anyone in and if anyone gets close, he send them on their way. As a college professor, he has stopped caring about much. He hides behind the farce of writing a book. When he leaves Connecticut for his apartment in NYC to further work on this book, he discovers a couple living in his place--they are strangers to him. Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) is from Syria and Zainab (Danai Gurira) is from Senegal. The couple discover they were tricked by someone into renting a place they thought was available (this plot point never gets resolved). Walter puts them out but when he realizes they have no where to go, he lets them stay 
The Visitor is about friendship and finding happiness (without going down the sticky maudlin path). The movie is loyal to Walter, its protagonist, and to the changes he undergoes when his life becomes wrapped up in theirs. There's witty dialogue, colorful characters development and a steady moving plot.
Director: Thomas McCarthy
Country: US
Genre: Drama
Minutes: 103 minutes
Scale: 4.5
Last night, Danzig played, led by Glenn Danzig, the former lead singer for The Misfits. Danzig isn't punk; it's metal. There are a few metal bands I enjoy, but there is something about Glenn Danzig I love. It could be called an obsession. At 53, he's still rocking. I've spent more than one night watching Danzig vids with C&A ("who bought this??"), so when I saw the ad for Danzig's show, we three were on board.
This one stayed with me well after viewing. It revolves around two brothers who haven't seen each other in five years. After a chance run-in (or was it?), they stand as strangers. Disappeared older brother, Carlos (Tristán Ulloa), is a has-been gambler borrowing against his poker debt, still looking for the big win that will set him free of his many debts. He's a pariah pitied in the gambling crowd. Baby brother Ignacio (Unax Ugalde) is a successful and esteemed architecture student with a promising future. He's days away from leaving Spain for Los Angeles to start an internship. He buys a ticket for his girlfriend to join him, but she's resentful because she'd doing well in her architecture studies. This leads to distance. During this increasing distance, little bro gets closer to his delinquent brother. It's hard to watch the snake lure the lamb. Carlos, aided by his girlfriend, creates the lair and Ignacio willingly enters.Ignacio possesses vulnerable blue eyes. Looking at them, you feel a pang of sadness and his thirst for Carlos' approval. You get the sense that even though Ignacio gets into trouble after finding Carlos, he feels alive--perhaps something he hasn't felt since Carlos left. The parents are cold and empty. They don't pay much attention to the kid as long as he's following his good son path. Sibling relationships are some of the most interesting. You share the parents, yet each child can have a varying experience.
CONS: It has it's flaws...could have been edited WAY down and tossed the needless characters of Lukacris and Jeremy Piven (Ari Gold has ruined Piven forever for me--he'll never be anyone else.) The flimsy plot device (involving a painting <yawn>) didn't excite, but it was a vehicle for a very fun threesome of: One Two (Gerard Butler), Mumbles (Idris Elba--"Stringer Bell" of The Wire fame) and Handsome Bob (Tom Hardy). From the start, their chemistry smolders and guides you though the silly and convoluted plot. You are on board with them because their friendship is solid. This is a movie about loyalty and family. The good friends try to make good but are foiled by a crime lord on a real estate scam. But, really, that's the dull storyline allowing Ritchie to write the story he really wanted to write--the one about the friendships. That's the story that shines.
We are introduced to a couple living in a large, secluded house in the country. Lucas (Michaël Cohen) and Clementine (Olivia Bonamy) have had a nice relaxing evening afternoon after the workweek. When Clementine decides to get some work done while Lucas sleeps, odd things start occurring. She gets a call with strange noises on the other end. She eventually re-joins Lucas but awakes to different noises coming from downstairs and outside. As they start investigating, the learn they aren't alone. The story moves along as Clementine and Lucas battle the mysterious hooded figures to survive. That's really it for plot. The simple, yet frightening sounds add to the unease. The house is reminiscent of a European version of the hotel from The Shining. The house itself becomes a character, playing a role and adding to the tension, but what is most eerie is the ending when you learn that this movie is based on true events. I won't give it away but it's unsettling.
This movie was fun to watch, especially as you see them experiencing the process of getting arranged. The relationships with their families during the process are strained. It's not a simple process. You see Rochel's bad meetings with prospective husbands and Nasira's disappointment at her first suitor. Family pressures and disapproval propel the women into a stronger friendship. Nasira is particularly funny and creative. Arranged is interesting on many levels. It might be geared toward women, but the cultural aspects make it fascinating for all.
Bruges is lovely but the movie is flat. The usually enjoyable and compelling Colin Farrell is annoying. The movie thrives on its violence. The scene where the hit goes wrong happens in a church without a silencer. Come on! There are some quirky bits and there's a twist that gives the movie a final shot of adrenalin but by then, you could be dozing. The plot starts moving in the last two scenes. There's English humor and it has its moments, but it just wasn't enough to sustain it. Bleh.
