Best movie I've seen so far this year? Hands down, it's Tom McCarthy's superb The Visitor, which turns Richard Jenkins, one of the best character actors in the business, into a full-fledged star.
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04/11/08
The Visitor (2008)
90
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:111
Fresh:100
Rotten:11
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: The Visitor is a heartfelt, humanistic drama that deftly explores identity, immigration, and other major post-9/11 issues.
Theatrical Release:Apr 11, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $9,234,510
Synopsis: In a world of six billion people, it only takes one to change your life. In actor and filmmaker Tom McCarthy’s follow-up to his award winning directorial debut The Station Agent, Richard Jenkins... [More]
Starring: Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbass, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira
Director: Tom McCarthy
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Reviews for The Visitor
Top CriticBoth director and cast exhibit the dedication of those who truly believe in the message at hand.
04/11/08
The movie is writer-director Tom McCarthy's follow-up to his 2003 debut, the well-liked The Station Agent, and it shares that film's offbeat, humanistic spirit.
04/11/08
McCarthy is so careful not to take a political stand that his film seems neutered by good intentions. In the spirit of squishy humanism, he soft-pedals a hard-hitting topic.
04/11/08
The Visitor tells of renewal through love. Its song is tinged with sadness, but stirring all the same.
04/11/08
Top CriticActor/director Tom McCarthy’s follow up to his award-winning debut, The Station Agent, avoids any notion of a sophomore curse by being an even more polished effort than his debut.
04/11/08
Depicts the way a professor's closed-off heart is opened by music, friendship, and love; one of the most touching and impressive films of the year.
04/11/08
Character actor Richard Jenkins gives a performance that is at once restrained and speaks volumes, a breakthrough to leading man status after decades of supporting roles.
04/11/08
Scores by expanding its scope beyond the hot-button issue of illegal immigration to encompass themes of friendship and breaking free of a stifling routine.
04/11/08
This is a small picture that explodes the boundaries of what size really means. Sometimes it's the smallest gesture that makes you feel most alive.
04/10/08
Top CriticThe curious thing about The Visitor is that even as it goes more or less where you think it will, it still manages to surprise you along the way.
04/10/08
Top CriticThe Visitor, featuring an award-caliber performance by Richard Jenkins as the prof, is a heartfelt human drama that sneaks up and floors you.
04/10/08
Top CriticA polite, gentle drama about friendship and musical expression, "Visitor" dances slowly, but effectively, working its way to the heart.
04/10/08
The Visitor is a low-key, naturalistic, beautifully observed character study about the quiet angst of the buttoned-down soul.
04/10/08
Dull and depressing, The Visitor is leaden, lethargic and full of heavy-handed symbolism. The Statue of Liberty keeps popping up in the movie, which uses it like a cheap stage prop.
04/10/08
McCarthy unquestionably means well, but he’s made one of those incredibly naive movies (like last fall''s Rendition) that give liberals -- Hollywood liberals especially -- a bad name.
04/10/08
Far too much of a mixed bag to be completely effective, but allows for some fun and unexpected moments and solid performances.
04/10/08
Jenkins does a great job with the material and Tom McCarthy's latest is quality work that deserves attention.
04/09/08
This audaciously issues-loaded indie drama works, improbably and entirely, on account of the marvelous, often familiar-looking, rarely starring character actor Richard Jenkins and his perfect performance as a stodgy, widowed economics professor.
04/09/08
Top CriticThis is a simple story of human drama that provides an incentive to spend a couple of hours in a movie theater during a spring that has not provided many such reasons.
04/09/08
Top CriticLatest News for The Visitor
January 08, 2009:
Broadcast Film Critics Name Critics' Choice Winners
The 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards were given on January 8, 2009, to honor the finest achievements in 2008 filmmaking. A list of nominees follows below, with winners in bold: More...
January 07, 2009:
WGA Nominations Announced 
The WGA has settled on its nominees for this year's awards -- and yes, "The Dark Knight" is one of them. More...
December 05, 2008:
National Board of Review Names Slumdog Millionaire Best of '08
The National Board of Review has announced its 2008 honors, led by its film of the year, Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire." More...
December 03, 2008:
Gothams Dive Into Frozen River
"Frozen River" was the big winner at Tuesday's 18th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards, taking home two of the six prizes, including best feature. More...
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