Tom McCarthy's surprise indie hit The Station Agent was something of a minor miracle. A touching, big-hearted character study propelled by three vibrant performances, The Station Agent distinguished itself with its sensitivity and grace, qualities sorely lacking in an independent film culture that too often prizes the clever, the glib, the cute, and the smug. With his sophomore effort as a writer-director, The Visitor, McCarthy once again proves himself to be refreshingly out-of-step with the indie mainstream, taking an improbable set-up and patiently observing as his damaged but likeable characters work their way through it. Despite its contrivances, the film is a work of quiet, restrained empathy.
As he did in The Station Agent, McCarthy structures The Visitor around an unlikely friendship . . . Click here to read Chris Wisniewski's review of The Visitor.
