Thomas McCarthy doesn’t get around to making films very often because he’s usually starring in them (or on TV, like being a regular on HBO’s recently ended The Wire). But when he does, they’re tremendous character pieces. Both The Station Agent and The Visitor deal with men and solitude, one is seeking it and the other is living it. Both films also follow these men as they overcome their isolation and encounter new friends and new experiences. And finally both films are small and personal, meant to be seen amongst a small group without Dolby Digital surround sound and other high-tech add-ons; just pure engaging storytelling.

Richard Jenkins plays Walter Vale, a university professor that teaches international economics and lives a solitary life disengaged from everyone including students and neighbours. His only joy, if one can call it that, is learning piano, but with Walter’s lack of proficiency he’s on the verge of giving up. Going into New York City in order to present a paper at a conference, Walter returns to the apartment he hasn’t used for years to find an immigrant couple living there. Tarek and Zainab (Haaz Sleiman and Danai Gurira) end up staying with Walter at his behest, and Tarek teaches him the drum, lifting Walter’s depression somewhat. But when Tarek is arrested and sent to detention, Walter becomes his passionate advocate and makes friends with Tarek’s mother Mouna (Hiam Abbass) as they work for her son’s release.

The Visitor is brought to life through the incredible, low key performance of Jenkins as the demur and disengaged Walter. His work is restrained and genuine and generally elevates would could have been a typical grumpy old man role with sincerity and low key humour. To use a sports term, Jenkins “puts on a clinic” as to how one acts real in a movie, down to earth with humanity and humility. He could be any one of a hundred Walter Vales in the world, struggling to find a connection in an increasingly disconnected world. Fortunately, the rest of the main cast is all up to the task of meeting Jenkins on even ground, especially Sleiman who has great the rhythm and camaraderie with Jenkins.

The film is also part issues movie, but like Under the Same Moon, it doesn’t force any one right answer and instead focuses on the people who are hurt by either an ineffectual or unethical policy – McCarthy doesn’t make an indictment either way. If anything gets beat up in the story, it’s the execution of present policy that’s all about giving people a number and dolling out judgement swiftly and with little room for appeal, if any. McCarthy admirably doesn’t shy away from the facts of the real world as the movie unfolds. There’s no underdog comes from behind character arc, nor is there a ground swell of community support reaching out to demand justice for the poor immigrant drummer.

But The Visitor remains throughout though a film with limitless humanity, combining the best mix of comedy and drama to tell a thought provoking yet touching story. From as far as I can see, Thomas McCarthy has hit no sophomore slump with this film and instead made an excellent companion piece to The Station Agent as two films that shine with simple pleasures from simple moments. It takes great skill to make a film this look this easy and make it this good.