Martin Boulocq's "The Visitor" is a Bolivian entry in the International Narrative Competition of the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. In the initial scene, there's a long shot of a man walking slowly towards us up a fairly steep hill.
I could be wrong, but the walk seems to take about a minute to complete. The pace of the film never gets any quicker than the opening scene. It is painfully slow.
In order for a movie to excel despite an excruciatingly slow pace, it must have truly compelling tension. "The Visitor" doesn't have that, even though this type of story could have it if executed a bit better.
The man who walked up the hill is Humberto (Enrique Aráoz), a recently released convict who is returning home after serving his jail time. His goal is to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Aleida, but he is met with hostility and resistance by his in-laws who run the evangelical church in town. We eventually learn what the source of the hostility is.
The underlying plot is an examination of the control the church has over the entire population. That is the best part of the film. Unfortunately, the personal story doesn't work all that well.
While I always love seeing films set in countries I haven't personally experienced, and despite the interesting undertone on religion presented by Boulocq, there just isn't enough to recommend this one. It's just way too slow.
| Movie title | The Visitor |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2022 |
| MPAA Rating | NR |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | This Bolivian entry in the 2022 Tribeca Film Fest has a secondary plot that works, but its prime plot drags throughout the film. |
