The name Richard Jenkins is not particularly recognizable to most moviegoers, though the face that goes along with it probably is. Over the past 20 years Jenkins has been one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood, showing up in supporting roles in scores of films ranging from Silverado"" to ""There's Something About Mary"" to ""The Kingdom."" As a bit player, Jenkins has been a consistently good performer, and in the Thomas McCarthy-directed film, ""The Visitor,"" Jenkins shows he can carry a film on his shoulders just as well.
""The Visitor"" centers on Jenkins' character Walter Vale, a widowed college professor from Connecticut whose life has become stagnant and unfulfilling. While at a conference in New York, Walter finds an immigrant couple, played by Haaz Sleiman and Danai Jekesai Gurira, squatting in his apartment. After allowing the couple to stay, Walter gradually gets to know both of them and their struggle as immigrants in the United States.
With his character serving as the film's center, the overall quality of ""The Visitor"" hinges on Jenkins' performance. Thankfully, Jenkins is outstanding as Walter, delivering an incredibly subtle portrayal of a man who has lost all motivating forces in his life. By merely staring into the camera and without uttering a word, Jenkins makes it abundantly clear that there is a wealth of emotions churning within Walter's brain. He is perfectly cast, as his lack of fame makes him an able stand-in for the audience.
Credit is also due to writer-director McCarthy and his restraint in depicting the state of immigration in America. Throughout the film, McCarthy provides visual reminders of the war on terror and its effect on Americans' perceptions of foreigners, but at no point does he hit you over the head with this message.
In addition, McCarthy carefully avoids turning his characters into ""magical minorities"" whose only purpose is to redeem the white male Walter Vale. Both Tarek (Sleiman) - the immigrant who Walter gets to know best - and his girlfriend Zainab are depicted as real, flesh-and-blood individuals. By creating such complete characters, McCarthy makes his case for immigration reform much better than any grandstanding Aaron Sorkin-style speech ever could.
If there is anything wrong with the film, it is its runtime. The film comes in at under two hours, but the material is probably more apt for a little over 90 minutes. Some of the latter scenes feel repetitive and likely could have been axed from the final cut.
Despite a few unnecessary scenes, the vast majority of ""The Visitor"" is incredibly well done, from the introduction into Walter's life to the exquisite final shot. If nothing else, it's worth the trip to the theater for Jenkins' Oscar-worthy performance, and the great movie that comes with it is icing on the cake.
