萍水相逢的幾個人，漫長人生的一小段插曲，到底是誰改變了誰的人生？究竟誰是主人誰是外來者？

由集演員、編劇和導演三重身份于一身的托馬斯?麥卡錫親自編劇并執(zhí)導的劇情類移民題材影片《不速之客》，在眾望所歸之下，獲得第34屆法國杜維爾美國電影節(jié)最高獎。雖然故事涉及到移民、后911等問題，但導演更多著墨于男主人公——老教授的心理層面上。以非法移民逃脫不了的政治問題為背景，勾勒出一個有關關愛、溫暖、理解、融合以及人生變化的故事。

影片關于“鼓”的運用也堪稱精妙。兩人因“鼓”結緣，因“鼓”而樂，鼓這個古老的樂器，成為友誼的紐帶，鼓聲成為了傳遞友情的信號。盡管影片在反映一個深刻的關于種族、文化、人權的主題，但片中的鼓聲永遠是輕快的，主人公的樂觀和希望在壓抑中得以釋放，觀眾也免被推入郁悶的深淵。

除了溫暖簡單、發(fā)人深省并且引人入勝的故事情節(jié)，本片的整個制作班底也令人難以小覷。導演托馬斯?麥卡錫是一個具有多方面藝術天賦的人。他曾出演過包括《拜見岳父岳母》（Meet the Parents）、《晚安，好運》（Good Night, and Good Luck）和《父輩的旗幟》（Flags of Our Fathers）等多部電影，也曾出現(xiàn)在電視秀《波士頓人》（Boston Public）、《法律與秩序》（Law & Order）之中。相對于他的演藝事業(yè)，導演和編劇則給他帶來了更大的聲望。2003年，他自編自導的首部電影《心靈驛站》（The Station Agent）大獲好評，在當年法國圣丹斯電影節(jié)獲得了觀眾喜愛電影獎和Waldo Salt編劇獎，這部影片還獲得英國電影和電視藝術學院頒發(fā)的最佳初次編劇獎和最具獨立精神電影獎。出演本片男一號的理查德?詹金斯是一位資深的性格派演員，自1985年以來，他已在《新?lián)屽X夫妻》、《北方風云》、《談談情，跳跳舞》和《兒女一籮筐》等影片中出演過近80個角色，他的表演自然脫俗，對于表現(xiàn)人物內心世界更有自己的獨到之處，詮釋人物一向精準無比的他不僅深得導演們的青睞，也贏得了觀眾的認可。扮演男二號的哈茲?斯雷曼曾分別于2004年和2005年憑借《敘利亞新娘》和《免稅區(qū)》獲得以色列電影學院最佳男主角和最佳男配角獎的提名。而女配角代奈?宅可塞?古瑞亞曾在《法律和秩序》中與托馬斯有過合作，另一位配角西亞姆?阿巴斯則曾在反映人體炸彈的影片《天堂此時》中有上佳表現(xiàn)。

Director導演: Thomas McCarthy

Writer編劇: Thomas McCarthy (written by)

Release Date發(fā)行時間:18 April 2008 (USA)

Genre類型: Crime/ Drama/ Romance

Tagline劇情標簽: Connection is everything

Plot Keywords劇情關鍵詞: Statue of Liberty/ Manhattan/ Music/ African/ New York

Main Cast主要演員: Richard Jenkins

Hiam Abbass

Haaz Sleiman

Danai Jekesai Gurira

Awards獲得獎項: Brisbane International Film Festival: Interfaith Award 2008 (Thomas McCarthy)

Deauville Film Festival: 2008 Grand Special Prize Best Film (Thomas McCarthy)

Method Fest: 2008 Best Actor (Richard Jenkins)

Best Director (Thomas McCarthy)

Best Supporting Actress（Danai Jekesai Gurira）

Moscow International Film Festival: 2008 Silver St. George Best Actor (Richard Jenkins)

Plot Outline 影片介紹

Sixty-two-year-old Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins ) is sleepwalking through his life. Having lost his passion for teaching and writing, his fills the void by unsuccessfully trying to learn to play classical piano. When his college sends him to Manhattan to attend a conference, Walter is surprised to find a young couple has taken up residence in his apartment. Victims of a real estate scam, Tarek (Haaz Sieiman), a Syrian man, and Zainab (Danai Gurira), his Senegalese girlfriend, have nowhere else to go. In the first of a series of tests of the heart, Walter reluctantly allows the couple to stay with him.

六十二歲的沃爾特?威爾（理查德?詹金斯飾）過著麻木的生活。失去教學和寫作激情的他，試圖以鋼琴來填補生活的空虛，卻沒成功。學院派他前往曼哈頓參加一個會議，沃爾特意外發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的公寓里居然住著一對年輕的戀人。而被租賃公司欺騙的這對受害者是來自敘利亞泰瑞克（哈茲?斯雷曼飾）和他的女朋友——來自塞內加爾的翟娜（代奈?宅可塞?古瑞亞飾）。他們無處可去。出于好心，沃爾特不情愿的收留了這對情侶。

Touched by his kindness, Tarek, a talented musician, insist on teaching the aging academic to play African drums. The instruments exuberant rhythms revitalize Walters faltering spirit and open his eyes to a vibrant world of local jazz clubs and Central Park drum circles. As the friendship between the two men deepens, the differences in culture, age and temperament fall away.

泰瑞克是一位才華橫溢的樂手，因感激于沃爾特的好心，堅持要教這位老教授打非洲鼓。歡快的鼓聲震開了他沉睡的心，開拓了他的眼界，讓他接觸到了充滿活力的爵士俱樂部和當?shù)刂醒牍珗@的非洲鼓圈子。隨著兩人之間友情的加深，因文化、年齡和性格不同產(chǎn)生的距離逐漸消退。

After being stopped by police in the subway, Tarek is arrested as an undocumented citizen and held for deportation. As his situation turns desperate, Walter finds himself compelled to help his new friend with a passion he thought he had long ago lost. When Tareks beautiful mother Mouna ( Hiam Abbass) arrives unexpectedly in search of her son, the professors personal commitment develops into an unlikely romance.

在地鐵站被警察攔下之后，泰瑞克因無合法居民身份被捕，且被關押等待驅逐出境。在泰瑞克危難之際，老教授卻發(fā)現(xiàn)自己在以本以為早已失去的激情督促著自己幫助這位新朋友。而當泰瑞克的媽媽，風韻尤存的姆娜（西亞姆?阿巴斯飾）意外出現(xiàn)前來尋找自己的孩子，教授對朋友的承諾最后竟發(fā)展成了一段不同尋常的戀情。

Its through these newfound connections with three virtual strangers that Walter is awakened to a new world and a new life.

通過與三位跟自己本來毫不相關的陌生人新建立起來的關系，沃爾特醒悟過來，看到了煥然一新的世界并展開了全新的生活。

Interview of The Filmmaker導演、編劇、制作人爆料幕后

‘Its always difficult to point to the exact inspiration for a film, says Tom McCarthy, director and writer of The Visitor. ‘I collect a lot of different ideas and keep them in one big file, and then I pull out the ones that are most resonant for me. McCarthy wowed Hollywood with his first project. The Station Agent, a low budget independent movie that made waves well beyond the indie film world. In fact, the U.S State Department invited McCarthy to take it to the Middle East as part of a cultural outreach program. It was during that trip that McCarthy first started thinking about the deep chasm separating American from the inhabitants of much of the rest of the world. ‘I was struck by how little I knew about the region, about the people about the culture. Our country is so involved politically and militarily there, but with all the news and headlines and the drama, we cant forget that there are human beings on both sides of this. How can I eliminate that a little bit? That always is my call to arms.

“想要一針見血地指出一部影片的靈魂所在，總是非常困難的。我喜歡收集各種各樣的不同想法，然后將它們匯聚成一個很大的文學體系，再從中挑選出最能引起我共鳴的元素?！薄恫凰僦汀返膶а菁熬巹⊥旭R斯?麥卡錫如是說。托馬斯?麥卡錫的處女作《心靈驛站》是一部低預算的獨立電影，卻震動了整個好萊塢。事實上，美國政府還邀請麥卡錫帶著這部作品去中東走了一遭——作為超越文化計劃中的一個組成部分。正是在這次旅行的過程中，麥卡錫第一次開始思考將美國人和這個世界其他人種分離開的原因，他說：“我為自己對這個地區(qū)、對這個地區(qū)的人和文化知之甚少感到震驚。我們的國家已經(jīng)過度插手別國的政治和軍事了，在媒體、新聞的夾攻之下，我們不能忘了參戰(zhàn)的雙方其實都是人，我沒辦法消除這種強烈的感覺，它不停地召喚著我為此付出行動。”

McCathy was struck by the artists he met there and the passion the brought to their work. ‘I thought, ‘I want to capture this. Thats where I got the idea for the character of Tarek. At the same time, the filmmaker had been separately developing the character of an aging college professor who had lost his passion for his vocation. ‘Somewhere along the way, the two came together , says McCarthy.

不僅如此，托馬斯?麥卡錫還對在那里遇到的藝術家，以及他們在自己的作品中體現(xiàn)出的那種激情，印象深刻，他繼續(xù)說：“我當時就想，‘我要把這些都捕捉下來。于是泰瑞克這個角色突然在我的腦海里成形?！痹诖酥埃溈ㄥa就已經(jīng)開始構思故事中的另一個主要角色了，那是一個上了年紀，對工作失去激情的大學教授，麥卡錫說：“在某個地方，因為某個原因，這兩個人相識并走到了一起?！?/p>

The Station Agent producer Mary Jane Skaiski was one of the first to read the developing screenplay. ‘I had an idea of what he was writing and Id read pages here and there, she remembers. ‘But when I got the first full draft, I didnt really know what to expect.

Skaiski was struck by the films humanity and its sense of hope. ‘Its a story about four people and how there lives come together and are changed because of it. Its about just going a little bit beyond yourself and how your life can change when you do that. Yes, its another opportunity to entertain people, but at the same time to encourage people to just be a little bit more.

《心靈驛站》的制作人瑪麗?珍?斯凱斯基是最早看到還在創(chuàng)作過程中的劇本的讀者之一。她回憶道：“我一直知道他在寫一些東西，我也分散著閱讀了其中的幾個部分，但是當我第一次看到完整的劇本后，我實在是不知道還有誰能帶給我比這個更好的故事了。”斯凱斯基是被劇本中所蘊含的人性和希望所打動了，她接著說：“這個故事中里主要涉及到4個角色，講述了他們是如何生活到一起，如何因此而被改變的。如果你能夠稍微超越現(xiàn)在的自己，那么你的生活就會因為你所做的努力而得到徹底地改觀。確實，這是一個娛樂觀眾的機會，但同時。它也鼓勵著人們拿出勇氣?！?/p>

Little decision, says McCarthy, sometimes make the biggest differences in life. ‘Many of the choices that send us in a completely different direction in life are arbitrary. I think thats the magic of life, isnt it? It makes us realize, as much as we like to imagine we have control over our fate and destiny, we really dont. Thats something that happens in this movie, adds the director. ‘Walter has no intention of going to New York. He does everything he can to get out of it. He makes a snap decision to help two kids out of a jam, and in doing so he discovers a new musical life. Who could predict these things?

麥卡錫也承認，有的時候，只是一個小小的決定，就有可能為生活帶來最大限度的改觀，他說：“生活中許多把我們帶往了完全不同方向的選擇是很隨意的。但我覺得，生活的不確定性，不正是其魅力所在嗎？它讓我們意識到，不管我們多么愿意去幻想自己能夠控制未來和命運，可是我們真的做不到。發(fā)生在《不速之客》中的故事正是這樣。沃爾特原本不想去紐約，而且他盡力擺脫它。可是他做出了一個突然的決定，想幫助兩個孩子擺脫困境……他這么做之后，卻發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個全新的音樂世界——有人能夠預知這樣的偶然嗎？”

While McCarthy and Skaiski are adamant The Visitor is primarily about the characters, ultimately it also deals with issues surrounding the hot-button topic of immigration. After returning from the Middle East to his home base in New York, McCarthy began to spend time in the citys vibrant Arab community. During his research, he heard the story of a young man who had been confined to a government detention center on immigration charges. McCarthy eventually began visiting detainees and learned that many of them didnt have legal representation. ‘We are not standing on a soap box and saying this is right or this is wrong, but rather, lets approach this situation with empathy and with understanding, says the director. ‘Were dealing with people, not just a cause.

盡管麥卡錫和斯凱斯基一直堅持《不速之客》應該屬于那種以角色為主的故事，發(fā)展到后來，他們也不得不同意讓故事圍繞著熱門的移民問題展開。當麥卡錫結束了中東之旅，回到他在紐約的家之后，就開始把所有的時間都花在了拜訪當?shù)氐陌⒗松鐓^(qū)上。在調查研究的過程中，麥卡錫聽到了有關一個年輕人曾經(jīng)被關在政府移民管理中心、等待遣返的拘留室的故事……他隨即改變了自己的探索方向，最終開始走訪那些已經(jīng)因為不合法身份而被關押的人，并知曉原來他們中的許多人都沒有律師。麥卡錫說：“對這樣的事，我們不能光用法律就一概而論，去評判這樣的做法是對還是錯。因為我們應該帶著同情和理解去剖析這種現(xiàn)狀，要知道我們面對的是人，而不僅僅是一個動機或目標?！?/p>

In addition to Mary Jane Skaiski, McCarthy brought back a number of his collaborators from The Station Agent to work on The visitor. ‘My cinematographer, Oliver Bokelberg, read a very early draft of this. Tom McArdle, my editor, and John Paino, my production designer, did as well. Its a joy to be able to include these guys very early on because we share a common vision of the type of movies we want to make. Weve even started to develop a shorthand for working with each other. ‘MacArdle and I sat down a number of times before we shot the movies to talk through all the things we would usually talk through after we shot the movie, he continues. Its a wonderful opportunity to do that with an editor you trust. What happens by the time you actually begin shooting or the design stage or the editing stage, is that you have a story with these people and the story has a history among you, which is crucial. They keep me on track and remind me of the vision we had when we started.

除了瑪麗?簡?斯凱斯基之外，麥卡錫還將他在《心靈驛站》中合作過的一干同事都帶回到這部影片中，他說：“包括我的攝影師奧利弗?伯克伯格——他也是一早就讀過劇本了，還有剪輯師湯姆?麥克阿德爾和美工師約翰?派諾……能夠和他們再度合作，是一件非常讓人高興的事，因為我們在想制作什么樣的電影類型方面，有著相似的觀點。我們甚至開始發(fā)明了互相之間在一起工作時候的速記。在影片開拍之前，我和麥克阿德爾坐在一起討論了很多往往我們會在影片拍完之后才會討論的事情。這種能夠和一個信任的剪輯師一起工作的情況，無疑是一個非常難得的好機會，影片從拍攝到布景再到剪輯，于是你有了跟這些人在一起的故事，而這些故事里面有了你的歷史，這就是關鍵所在正是因為有他們在身邊，我才能心無旁騖地專注于我自己的問題，而且他們還會時刻地提醒我，千萬不要偏離最初制定的拍攝計劃?！?/p>

McCarthy and Skaiski were working with two new partners as well, the production companies Participant and Groundswell. McCarthy had previous experience working with both companies as an actor – in Syriana and Good Night and Good Luck for Participant and in The Guru for Groundswell.

瑪麗?簡?斯凱斯基和托馬斯?麥卡錫還和另外兩個新伙伴進行搭檔，即參與者制片公司和格倫德沃制片公司，麥卡錫之前曾以演員的身份與這兩家公司分別合作過——參與Participant拍攝的影片《辛瑞那》和《晚安，好運》，跟格倫德沃制片公司合作的則是《性福大師》。

Authenticity was one of the most important elements for McCarthy throughout the making of this movie, Says Skaiski. ‘The movie hinges on people who are taking a leap of faith and therefore the audience has to take that leap of faith, too. And how could they do that if a moment ever didnt feel true?

“在制作《不速之客》的過程中，‘真實性是托馬斯?麥卡錫貫徹到底的一個最重要的組成元素，”瑪麗?簡?斯凱斯基說，“這部影片是根據(jù)那些在信仰上有了飛躍性發(fā)展的角色慢慢展開故事的，所以也需要觀眾也不得不跟著進程隨之跳躍……但是，如果他們覺得這個故事一點都不具備可信度、不真實，又怎么能完成這個跳躍呢？”

McCarthy says that he didnt set out to make a political statement, but rather to reveal the human face on something that was quickly becoming a major issue. ‘The characters are embroiled in a situation that is very much in the national consciousness right now; immigration and detention. It may not change the world, but at the very least, its reminding us of the human element and consequences to a very divisive issue. I guess, in some small way, I am holding the mirror up and saying. “This is whats going on. Do we like it? Do we not? Is there room for debate? Rather than providing answers, McCarthy sees the filmmakers job as raising the questions – but never at the expense of telling a compelling story. ‘In the end, this is a love story, and a story of friendship. The story keeps evolving in a very simple way. There are funny moments, tragic moments, and even mundane moments. I think its reflective of how life unfolds.

托馬斯?麥卡錫還表示，自己無心借著影片做一次政治陳述，而是在那些即將成為焦點的大事件上揭示出人類的面目?！敖巧珎兌枷萑肓艘粓鲱愃朴诖蠹颐刻於荚谟懻摰募m紛當中；移民、監(jiān)禁。它可能不會改變我們的生活，但至少它提醒了在有爭議的話題中的人類因素以及結果。我想，在某些方面，我反映了社會現(xiàn)實并進行呼吁?！边@是現(xiàn)在正發(fā)生的事情。我們喜歡嗎？我們討厭嗎？有爭論的余地嗎？麥卡錫沒有給出答案，他深知電影制作者的任務是提出問題——但從不以提出一個驚世駭俗的問題為代價?！白詈螅@只是一個關于愛情、友情的故事。故事一直保持簡單的敘述手法。有開心的片刻、痛苦的瞬間，甚至平淡的時候。我想它反映了生活進行的方式。”

Movie Reviews 七嘴八舌論經(jīng)典

This is a wonderful film, sad, angry, and without a comforting little happy ending. But I must not describe what happens, because the whole point of serious fiction is to show people changing, and how they change in The Visitor is the film's beauty. So much goes unsaid, and unseen. Events in Walter's professorial job happen off-screen. We are left to listen to the silences and observe the spaces.

All four actors are charismatic, in quite different ways. Hiam Abbass is one of those actresses who respects small gestures; she knows that when a good cook is using an unfamiliar salt-shaker, she shakes the salt first into her hand, and then throws it into the pot. And she has other small gestures here that are much more fraught with meaning. Haaz Sleiman and Danai Gurira, as a musician and a jewelry-maker, are young, in love and simply nice people. The less complicated they are, the better the characters work. And as Walter, Jenkins creates a surprisingly touching, very quiet, character study. Not all actors have to call out to us. The better ones make us call out to them.

這是一部好電影，悲傷、憤怒，非大團圓的結尾。但是我不能寫出到底發(fā)生了什么事情，因為整部劇本想展現(xiàn)給人們的重點就是人們的改變，他們在《不速之客》里面如何改變正是這部電影的迷人之處。很多東西都沒說出來，也沒表演出來。所有關于沃爾特工作的事件都沒有在屏幕上被展示出來。電影留了沉默給我們傾聽，留了空間給我們觀察。

四位演員魅力之處各有不同。西亞姆?阿巴斯是個注重使用小手勢的女演員，她知道一名好的廚師會怎么樣使用自己不熟悉的鹽灑，她首先會把鹽灑到自己手上，然后再灑到鍋里。在這部電影里她用了一些其它的小動作來表達更多更好的意義。哈茲?斯雷曼和代奈?古瑞亞，分別作為音樂家和首飾制作者，年輕、有愛情滋潤、單純友善。他們越簡單，角色就塑造的越好。而作為沃爾特的扮演者，詹金斯塑造了一個異常感人、安靜的角色。不是所有演員都讓我們歡呼，我們只會為好的電影叫好。

By Roger Ebert / July 17, 2008

This was an incredible heartwarming and heart-breaking movie. Its power lies in its simplicity. In some ways its a coming of age movie about a middle-aged professor coming to terms with his life and allowing himself to finally be who he is. Or perhaps a re-birthing movie in which, having died psychologically and spiritually, he emerges from his cocoon.

這是一部異常溫暖又令人心碎的電影。而這種力量是源于其中的簡約。從某個角度來說，這是一部體現(xiàn)成長的電影，上了年紀的教授 并讓自己最終成為自己想要成為的人?；蛘哒f這是一部關于重生的電影，從心理和精神兩方面死去，然后破繭重生。

By dedoc1/anada

A series of random events coincide to bring about a life-changing event (isn't that always the case?). The unfolding of the story occurs at a slow and steady (but never boring) pace that is in perfect keeping with the tone of the movie. It operates at many levels at once, presenting a comedy, drama, social statement and lesson, magnificently intertwined. Without much fanfare viewers are carried along quietly and unknowingly by the movie before realizing they are totally caught up in the depth and humanity of the story. The events opens up the main character as well as the audience's awareness of what is happening all around us in everyday life, of which few are aware and most of us prefer not to know about.

一系列隨意發(fā)生的事情卻恰巧帶來一件令命運改變的事件（是不是總是這樣呢？）故事以緩慢而穩(wěn)定（但絕不沉悶）的步調展開，使得整部電影得以保持完美的基調。它同時在不同的層次展開，將喜劇、劇情、社會陳述以及教育意義，完美的結合在一起。

The most remarkable part of The Visitor is the way it organically shows the way life can change un-expectantly, unfairly and without warning and does it with real, raw emotion. Just when you think you've figured out what the movie is about, you slapped with a new reality. It is frightening, timely and angering. Even the ending, which is not the typical movie ending, is emotive in a subtle and realistic way. I was not overwhelmed or underwhelmed by the movie, I was perfectly whelmed; a task indeed.

《不速之客》最可圈可點之處在于它原原本本的展現(xiàn)了生活會怎樣出人意料的發(fā)生改變——不公平的、沒有預示的發(fā)生，并夾雜著真實，純粹的情感。就在你以為你已經(jīng)弄明白這電影是有關什么的時候，新的現(xiàn)實會摑你一掌。它是令人恐懼的、適時的并且令人憤怒的。即使是結尾，也不是一般電影的結尾，而是一種敏感而現(xiàn)實的感性表達方式。我沒有被電影完全控制也不是完全不受感染，它對我的影響恰到好處。贊一個！

By Laraemeadow from United States

Music is an important element. It forms the initial bridge between Walter and Tarek and becomes a critical element of Walter's re-birth. Tarek plays African drums and he gives lessons to Walter, who has been haltingly trying to play the piano. Some of Walter's early attempts to practice provide a few chuckles but he develops into a surprisingly adept pupil. We learn that Walter's late wife was an accomplished pianist and now he has rediscovered the joy of living through another form of music. He gives up the past, as represented by the piano, and embraces the future, as represented by the drums. The symbolism is simplistic but effective.

The Visitor might easily be called The Awakening of Walter Vale. As the movie progresses and Walter becomes more embroiled in Tarek's cause, the film gives us longer and more frequent glimpses of the man he must have been before his wife's death. His quasi-romantic relationship with Tarek's mother (Hiam Abbass), which takes up the bulk of the production's second half, is a little forced and doesn't always ring true, but it aids in the protagonist's revival. The Visitor ends on an ambiguous, bittersweet note, but the last scene offers a portrait that is tinged more with hope than sadness.

音樂是一個重要的元素。它在沃爾特和泰瑞克之間搭起了最初的橋梁，并成為沃爾特重生的關鍵因素。泰瑞克演奏非洲鼓并教本來對要不要學彈鋼琴遲疑不決的沃爾特擊鼓。沃爾特剛開始試擊的幾下有點讓人發(fā)笑，但是后來他以驚人的速度熟練起來。我 知道他的亡妻是一名小有成就的鋼琴師，而現(xiàn)在他又通過另外一種樂器重新找到了生活的樂趣。以鋼琴為標志，他告別了過去；以鼓為標志，他擁抱未來。這些象征都簡單有效果。