Walter (played by Richard Jenkins) appears to be lonely. He is a book writer, a part-time professor, has a home in Connecticut and one in New York, has an interest for learning the piano and is knowledgeable, yet quiet. He was once married but his wife has passed away. He feels like he is not doing anything with his life and that if he goes to New York (a place where he has not been to for years) that he can find other ways to keep himself occupied.  However, in his home in New York, a young couple appears to be already living in his apartment.

The two couples in the apartment are Tarek (played by Haaz Sleiman) and Zainab (played by Danai Gurira). Tarek is a syrian musician and Zainab is a Senegalese street vendor. The director Tom McCarthy has the characters try to remain happy yet nervous at the same time to give the sense that Tarek and Zainab may be nice people (which they are) but that there are some other problems that arise. Tarek is held in a detention center for illegal immigration. Now Walter’s friendship is shifting to really like Tarek and has a sense of his music talent. This makes Walter do what he can to try and get Tarek out of the detention center.

All illegal immigration issues are a challenge to get through, paperwork and documentation allows the viewers to realize that Tarek is not a bad person and does not deserve to be in a detention center. Tarek is someone who wants to live the joys of playing his music in New York, but for him that is being kept from him since he is locked up. Also Zainab is worried that this could keep them from ever returning to a place they love the most.

“The Visitor” goes between conversation to conversation between both Walter and Tarek simultaneously to figure out how Tarek can be released from the detention center. From Walter’s point of view, he feels that Tarek just lacked in documentation before returning to the states. Tarek on the other hand sees that he is viewed as a terrorist (which he is not). Tarek believes that the U.S. does not care about other people and that they are just keeping him captive for the fun of it. Both Walter and Tarek have a variety of aspects only geared on one focus to try and get Tarek out. They think just whining all the time to the authorities is the only way to solve problems.

“The Visitor” is brilliant. The friendship that Tarek and Walter make is just a feel good movie. It is one not to be missed. Especially when one is trying to find a good movie to watch at home. Three and a half stars.

Written and directed by Peter Mullan “Non Educated Delinquents” is a film that shows the elements of the causes to make children make harsh decisions. The film details how a boy John McGill (played by Conor McCarron) is just sweet and quiet as a little boy but his behavior changes as the years go by. His life consists of gangs, violence, negative parents, and bullying teachers, and all of this builds up to make sweet McGill turn to wanting to be more like a thug.

 Of course the film is an adaptation of the events that occurred in Mullan’s life. However, Mullan’s life was insane and he was losing it and he even admitted that he was in a gang and really hated his abusive father. The scary thing though is watching this movie, and imagining this director living this lifestyle, it is just extraordinary with how well he sets the film and has the depressing moments fall.

In the Opening, John McGill goes to a private school, where respect is what is accepted. The teachers are abusive, neglectful, and not everyone gets by positively. From this, I guess maybe it is trying to say that hitting students in school causes them to have a more negative attitude than a positive attitude.

There is no parallel order of how the schooling works. It is basically just a harsh school. However, John has got problems with his father. Every time at night, his father taunts at him and his mother to do as they are told and John puts up with it for at least like five or ten years (not specified). All of a sudden, he explodes on his father and starts hitting his head with a frying pan. I got to say I am appalled that the character would have the guts to do that. 

Later, McGill meets some new gang members. He starts drinking, fighting, and making people want to go after him. It all leads to suspense and craziness where even McGill gets kicked out of school, his parents kick him out of his house, and he ties knives to his hands and is ready to take risks into his own hands.

To be honest this movie is one I struggle to watch more than once. I own it but I won it at a raffle at a film festival with two other films. I guess my reward was having the guts to watch more dark films.

Who is it to blame for the Berkman’s tragic lifestyle? That question may make viewers wonder why the divorced parents in “The Squid and The Whale” are just causing more heartbreaking facts and theories about their lives which only leads their two sons to divide and conquer between both the mom and the dad. Is Frank jealous of Joan’s success of being a writer? Is Frank not that motivated to write more sensational novels? Did anyone have an affair? Or could it be because of both of the parent’s having weird habits?

Now this is a film that is just realistic. Noah Baumbach wrote and directed this film and brings his childhood experiences of his life with him and his brother dealing with their parents divorce in Brooklyn, New York. As the divorce starts to happen, Baumbach details the boys immature behavior and disrespectful attitude towards the parents they despise. And the way that the parents seem distracted–just they do not care, as long as they are away from each other the happier they are. 

The parents are played by Jeff Daniels (as Bernard) and Laura Linney (as Joan). Both writers and professors in Brooklyn New York with two boys Frank (Owen Kline) and Walt (Jesse Eisenberg). Frank expresses an interest for being a tennis pro and Walt has a passion for guitar. In the opening, the parents do things with their kids and hangout but Baumbach has the characters dialogue lack to give the sense that something is not right. Than later on in the film there is a huge argument. After the argument there is a talk about the parents getting divorced. Within like eight or ten minutes into the film it goes from somewhat mediocre family to the hard to overcome divorced family.

All divorces have jealously involved, events from the past and the present allow both of the parents to see themselves as a couple that was not meant for each other. Bernard is a talented writer but jealous of how his ex-wife Joan turned out to be more successful than he was. Also he feels like her affairs in the past play a big part in their divorce (however the affair is not really defined).

“The Squid and the Whale” goes between conversation to conversation between both parents and their children as if trying to put together a puzzle to find reasons to hate one another. From Frank’s point of view, he feels his mother is not responsible at all for the divorce and that his father is just stuck-up jealous but he believes his father has a right to be jealous. Walt on the other hand sees that for him, it is best to hate his mom. He believes everything is true that is said from his father. That his mom is a liar and a cheater and that she does not deserve respect from him. Both the boys hate a variety of aspects only geared on one parent. They think being hurtful to the one they hate is the way to solve problems.

I wonder how in the process of the film that Wes Anderson was involved. Originally Anderson was set to direct it and Baumbach was suppose to produce it, but they rotated the positions. Baumbach being the director and Anderson as the producer. Anderson felt Baumbach should direct it since the story is all based off of Baumbach’sl life. I wonder though how Anderson could have directed it. Maybe a film where all of the descriptions are listed, their actions, and which parent they choose. That would be something interesting to watch but it would be more in the comedy sense than the dramatic sense. Therefore, Baumbach was the right choice to direct this honest and true drama. Four stars.