Switchblade Comb

Two films of note opened this weekend in Minneapolis, the first being Tom McCarthy’s follow-up to the wonderful Station Agent called The Visitor. By all accounts, this movie shouldn’t be half as good as it ends up being. The trailer plays up almost-wacky audience-friendly fare, and the deportation plot screams soapbox politics. But McCarthy being the confident director that he is, he manages to avoid all of the obvious pitfalls and makes one of the most nuanced films of the year. All of the performances are incredibly natural, especially Richard Jenkins in his subtle, award-worthy performance as bored, aimless Walter Vale.

A lot of exposition is left for the audience to decipher, usually with the scene cutting before what would be expected from a narrative film, or with the scene missing entirely. McCarthy doesn’t take his audience for idiots, and proves it also by avoiding (for the most part) heavy-handed preaching in regards to the post-9/11 treatment of immigrants.

The depiction of New York, however, it what sold the film for me. Rarely has the city been portrayed so dynamic and true, in both the beautiful urban settings and the intricate blending of multiculturalism which makes it so special. While the film certainly won’t be remembered first for this reason, dare I say it rivals the best of Woody Allen and Spike Lee in being a love letter to the city.

The Visitor - Trailer

Interview with Tom McCarthy and Richard Jenkins