The Visitor

Dinner tonight was at an old favorite, Zely and Ritz, a tapas place that features locally sourced ingredients. Much of what you eat comes from a farm owned by a guy with whom I worked many years ago. Small world. The food tonight was flavorful, fresh, and generally good enough that we all agreed we had to put the restaurant in heavier rotation on our list.

We then headed up the street a bit to see The Visitor, an art house film by Thomas McCarthy, who also directed The Station Agent. The Visitor delivered everything one might expect such a picture to provide--strong performances by character actors, a solid story line, genuine emotions resulting from complex situations--and also held back what you would expect: there was no happy ending. I very much liked the movie, found its characters extremely engaging, and recommend it highly.

I left, however, pondering why it was that happy endings are rarely the hallmark of art house films. (Yes, I know there are many exceptions, but I think the point stands.) I suppose it's the fact that life seldom deals us perfect endings, so when we are truest to life we must reflect that reality. I'm not convinced, however, that we must be true to life to create art. Quite the contrary: sometimes I think the greatest art can come from being larger than life, more perfect or more dreadful or more wonderful--more something--than life.

Ah well, regardless of what you feel about that issue, go see The Visitor. It's a lovely piece of art.