MovieChat Forums > The Visitor (2008) Discussion > Poignant, touching scenes...

Poignant, touching scenes...


I was particularly moved by a couple of scenes in the movie --

1. When Tarek, who has been grateful and gracious, shares that detainees are disappearing from the center, he speaks to Walter in the most desperate way. At first I was a bit put off by his candor, snapping at Walter and almost chastising him for the lawyer not getting him out sooner. But when Walter unwittingly says "I know" to empathize with him, Tarek corrects him, (not exact dialogue), "No you don't know. You're out there and I'm in here." The tearful look in his eyes; it's as though he knows this is the end of the line for him.

2. When Richard discovers that Tarek was already deported, he protests and that scene is just awesome. The emotionless officials keep telling him to step back and he tells him about the unfairness of the situation. In that moment he became the Russian (?) who he had seen the first time he arrived at the detention center. He felt bewildered and powerless. All his effort was for naught and he was so completely vulnerable.

Anyone else have favorite scenes?

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The movie is pretty much wall-to-wall good scenes. The ones you mentioned, while very good, are obvious. I'm particularly fond of that subtle first encounter with the piano teacher. What a great economical bit of character delineation. Also, the way he opens up to Mouna in the restaurant is remarkably effective, especially after you've previously seen him verbally hold her at bay with his standard spiel over dinner in his apartment. And the final scene in the subway--you can see how much he's learned and grown, without any phony overblown reaction from onlookers and without a word of grandstanding. Makes you think how many great stories there are in the life of every person you glimpse randomly anywhere.

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"Makes you think how many great stories there are in the life of every person you glimpse randomly anywhere".
WOW, what a great line!! It's great to see there are people here with a heart.
So sad that so many, many people don't have that for a great film like "Eat pray love" (also with a great Jenkins' role). Why is that, I wonder? Seems that one has to be an arthouse film lover for that (I found The Visitor DVD in the arthouse section of a shop).

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I love 'The Visitor' but 'Eat, Pray, Love' for one of the worst films I've ever seen. Absolute rubbish. Jenkins is good as usual, but he's about the only thing that's about that garbage pile of a film.

Poorly Lived and Poorly Died, Poorly Buried and No One Cried

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Mine is the dialogue between Zaineb and her customer..

Customer : " Where are you from ? "

Zaineb : " I'm from Senegal "

Customer : " Senegal?! Oh, yeah, I've been to Cape Town, it was great! "

An expression of weariness appears on Zaineb's face after her customer walks away. Her co-worker notices this and asks her: " Tell me, how far is Cape Town from Senegal, anyway ?

Zaineb : " About 8000 km ! "

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I agree. I loved the movie. It surprised me. Helps to remind you not to judge people before getting to know them.

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I agree with the person who said it was wall-to-wall good scenes. But I really loved the scene where Mouna came into Walter's bed. I was disappointed for a moment, thinking they were going to have sex, but then I was so happy that it ended up just being two humans who were so devastated that they needed to be close to someone else who could understand. I loved how she cried in his arms - she is such a fantastic actress in any role, and this movie made me love her even more. :)

Side note, I highly recommend seeing the movie Amreeka - she (Hiam Abbass) is in it as well, and the whole movie is just fantastic and tugs at the heart strings as well :)

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I agree with all the comments about this movie, and especially the scene in Walter's bed. I will see Amreeka

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