The editors at Citizen by Choice went to go see the recently released movie, The Visitor, over the weekend. It is one of the best movies we have ever seen.

The movie generally centers around Walter, a lonely middle aged man whose wife is deceased and whose son is off living in London. Sent to a conference to present a paper to which he had contributed little, Walter stays at his other home in Connecticut where he had not been in a long time. He finds a couple living there.

This is where Walter’s journey begins. He becomes personally involved and emotionally connected to a young Arab Muslim man. They connect through music, specifically, African drums. The movie takes viewers through the immigration system and its ugly aspects - deportation centers, immigration lawyers, and the current immigration laws. The movie’s producer crosses almost every boundary one can think of — national, racial, religious, gender, age. The ending was deeply moving. Films like this one come around too infrequently.

My only critique is that the movie does not explore Walter’s internal emotional landscape. It is what makes a person tick that makes them human, i.e. what deeply moves them or where their pain lies, however much others may or may not share in that experience. I also envisioned a slightly different ending, one that many of you will probably also imagine when you see the movie. For some reason, the producer decided not to go there.

I urge you to see this movie!