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The opening scenes of The Visitor indicate quite clearly that Walter Vale (the movie’s lead character) is merely existing, not at all living his life fully.

As the movie progresses, fortunately, Walter’s prospects take a turn for the better.  Becoming a musician (of sorts) accounts for this remarkable transformation on his part.  More specifically, through an odd turn of events, Walter meets and becomes friends with Tarek, who lives to make music.

Although in the United States illegally, Tarek devotes himself to his music.  Playing an African drum, he plays in local jazz clubs as part of a combo.  Further, he joins other drummers who hold forth, jamming, in a public part, to the delight of passersby.

As Tarek shows Walter how to play the drum, he succeeds in helping Walter to appreciate and savor intangible riches of life.  Put another way, Walter learns a new form of self-expression which captivates him.

When he finds himself called upon to render assistance to Tarek, when he’s threatened with deportation, Walter experiences startling and surprising depths of emotion and feeling.  Their appearance signal the degree to which he’s become a changed man, one more open to life and relishing all that it has to offer.

While The Visitor may not do blockbuster business at the box office, it ranks as a veritable gem.

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