In an Indy movie that has a European feeling about it, we follow a jaded sixtyish professor through a few weeks of his life. Played by Richard Jenkins, the professor lives in Connecticut and also has an apartment in Manhattan. He is a widower, and we surmise that his wife’s passing took all the will to life out of him.
He is a reluctant participant in a conference in the city and this causes him to stay at his flat. When he arrives, he discovers there are squatters living in his place. What ensues is an emotional journey that he certainly didn’t expect and we are delighted to watch. I found myself laughing out loud out of amusement and satisfaction.
Culture clashes always make for a good story. This isn’t really even a story, as very little actually happens, but we get to observe a group of all good people caught up in events beyond their control.
I now have a different appreciation for the street vendor in the market, or for the African drummer making music in Washington Square.
Rating: ****
I go out and pay for about three or four movies a year; this was one of them. I hope it gets nominated for Picture of the Year and it might. There are several subplots, one of them involving the protagonist and his young friend’s mother: a tentative romance without resolution. You cannot walk away from this film without being touched.