John Lacey Gets Personal

Imagine living in Connecticut but owning an apartment in New York. Now, imagine arriving in New York to attend a conference on economics. You walk into your apartment and notice something is not right; there are freshly picked flowers on a table and some of the lights are on. But more than that, there is a woman in the bath and her boyfriend, horrified to find you there, is shouting at you, demanding to know who you are.

Welcome to life as 62 year old economics professor, Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins). Plodding through life, teaching only one course and pretending to write a book, this chance encounter proves to be just the wake up call needed for this man sleepwalking through existence.

I saw ‘The Visitor’ the same day I watched The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and it is difficult to imagine two movies that exist in more stark contrast. While ‘The Mummy’ was bold and in your face, ‘The Visitor’ was subtle, understated and moody. The mistrust of Walter by that woman first located in his bath, Zainab (Danai Gurira), permeates beyond the cinema screen; it feels as uncomfortable for the viewer as it must for either of its participants. It is the sincerity of these performances that make this movie genuinely magical.

It feels strange to have told you so much about this movie without telling you what this movie is about, though I am conscious to avoid spoilers. Suffice it to say that something happens that gives great meaning to this chance encounter. It goes toward explaining Zainab’s mistrust of Walter. It gives Walter’s life a renewed sense of purpose. What might at first be seen as little more than a commentary on cultural differences and human interaction takes a more serious and troubling turn – and the movie’s themes become very topical indeed.

Categories: Culture
Tags: Danai Gurira, Haaz Sleiman, Richard Jenkins