This excellent film was shown at the recent film festival we attended. It’s lead actor, Richard Jenkins, won the festival’s best actor award. We saw it at a local theatre and completely agree with Jenkins’ award. Jenkins, who is most recently remembered as the dead father on HBO’s Six Feet Under, is outstanding as Walter Vale a depressed, widowed professor whose life takes an unexpected turn. He teaches at a college in Connecticut, but reluctantly travels to NYC to present a paper at an Economics Conference. When he enters his NY apartment—a place he hasn’t used in years—he finds two people living there: Tarek, a musician from Syria, and his Senegalese girlfriend, Zainab. They had no idea the apartment belonged to someone. Walter uncharacteristically offers to let them stay until they can find lodging somewhere else, and gradually he and Tarek become friends. Tarek plays the African drum and begins to teach it to Walter. Soon the question of Tarek and Zainab’s status in this country is called into question, and Walter finds himself confronted by the harsh immigration laws adopted in the US since 9/11. The cast of four is rounded out by an Israeli actress who plays Tarek’s mother. The script is beautifully written and the performances by all four could serve as a master class in acting. All the characters are touching and real and our hearts went out to them. This is writer/director Tom McCarthy’s second film; his first was The Station Agent. A.O. Scott of the NY Times said in his review that even though The Visitor goes more or less where you think it will, "it still manages to surprise you along the way." If, however, you are someone who believes that all illegal aliens should be immediately deported, you probably shouldn’t see this film. It might make you question your position. Gary says B+, but I say A-. GRADE A-/B+