Le parloir

I fell asleep with the t.v. on and woke up to find this film. That was the end of the night. I was riveted to the tube. The performances were flawless and so real that I entered into the film and was right there with all of them. Each character was moving and understandable. You have met all of them in your lifetime. It was so moving. The tears flowed and I was taken on a journey into his life. It didn't matter that we did not see what transpired to bring him into prison. You had to believe in him and believe in his innocence to really feel where he was at. The brother summed up what the journey was all about when he spoke at the funeral. It just verbalized what I saw happening and that the prison of his anger was where the real bars existed and that had to be removed by him and only him to allow freedom. What superb metaphor! And we all can relate. I truly would see the movie again and again and am seeking a copy to keep. It is a masterpiece in a celluloid world where few exist.

I saw this movie last Sunday at the Method Fest in Pasadena, CA. While I must admit that I went simply because Hill Harper was in it, it turned out to be an excellent movie. It moved me. It made me cry, laugh and think. Billy Dee Williams and Marla Gibbs reminded me, in some respects, of my parents. Rae Dawn Chong also reminded me of a relative. Hill Harper's character moved me most, you feel his pain, you know his character is innocent. He is an excellent actor and I'd really like to see much more of him on the big screen.

The synergy of the entire cast was wonderful. They fed off of each other's energy. But of course, without a wonderful director, there is no wonderful film. I would really like to see this film again, I'd like to own a video copy. I hope this film can find it's way into major theaters, it really deserves to be seen by a wider audience.

I saw this at the Chicago Film Festival when it premiered, and as such was able to attend a talk back with the director, Jordan Walker Pearlman, and Hill Harper. Pearlman explained how he truly did believe that he was insane, while Harper joked about how "City of Angels" (2000) was probably not going to survive due to its competitive schedule. I'm just pointing this out to note that my opinion might be slightly biased, because I really did enjoy talking to these two people. I can truthfully say that this was the best film at the Festival.

The movie centers on the prison visitations Hill Harper's character receives from his family. (Mainly his brother, Tony) He must struggle to find hope and wishes to say his good-byes while he is still health. (He is dying of AIDS) These struggles he has to overcome include an unforgiving father, the parole board, an old crush, and ultimately his bought with AIDS. This movie made me feel sad and free at the same time. This is a celebration of the human spirit in a very bleak situation. The visit does move a little slow, but it was not intended to move quickly. The acting is outstanding form every cast member. It is an important picture, but is low on replay value. This was an experience, and I wouldn't want to corrupt the original viewing by seeing again. The ultimate message was very touching and still sticks with me. That's why I'd give this film a nine. I strongly suggest The Visit, but I do not ever wish to see it again.

THE VISIT / (2000) **1/2 (out of four)

By Blake French:

"The Visit" is based on a stage play by Kosmond Russell, which itself was inspired by personal experiences with his brother in an Ohio prison. Director Jordan Walker-Pearlman added characters from his own circle of experience and synthesized the play with another previously written story to create the screenplay for "The Visit"

"The Visit" is a unique, original experience. It is not merely a prison drama, but a deep, human, passionate story about finding spiritual renewal and inner peace. Jordan Walker-Pearlman had good intentions with this often intriguing motion picture and incorporates solid voice. The movie also embarks the first full-length motion picture from Urban World Films, a new independent film company created to distribute and market minority movies.

The film stars Hill Harper as Alex Waters, a young man sentenced to 25 years in prison because of a rape he insists he did not commit. Alex spends his endless hours behind bars, with only one companion: his prison psychiatrist, Dr. Coles (Phylicia Rashad from "The Bill Cosby Show"), who strives to give Alex a greater awareness of himself.

The movie takes us inside a tortured family including Alex's successful older brother (Obba Babatunde), his unforgiving, controlling father (Billy Dee Williams), and his loving, passionate mother (Marla Gibbs). Along the way we also meet a childhood friend of Alex, an incest survivor named Felicia (Rae Dawn Chong). These characters are forced to reexamine their stance on Alex when they visit him for the first time in a number of years, only to learn he is dying of AIDS. "The Visit" is a smooth ride; there are no road bumps, awkward moments, undeveloped characters, or major plot problems, but something about it kind of feels distant. I think it's the various ideas in the thematic basis that are never completely explored. For instance, Alex insists that he never raped anyone-a massive point. But we never learn the truth, or any important information involving this issue. We don't see why he was convicted or what really happened. A plot hole this big is surely a conscious decision by the filmmakers; they probably thought this was unimportant, and wanted to focus on the movie's emotional, family, and spiritual themes. But whether he did or didn't brutally rape a woman is definitely important. For us to be involved we need to care for the main character, and I do not usually empathize with convicted rapists.

The spiritual aspects are also unclear. We know Alex's family is religious, and we know at the end Alex becomes a changed person because of his spiritual conviction, but we never see those changes. It is a crime for us to spend 107 minutes with a character as complex as Alex, and hear that he experiences complete transformation, but never see it. These little plot holes really skewer the impact of the narrative.

"The Visit" is not without its redeeming factors. Hill Harper ("He Got Game"), who received the Emerging Artist Award at the Chicago International Film Festival in 2000, provides us with a captivating, personal performance. Billy Dee Williams is also in top form, giving a stark, controlling edge to his character. The supporting cast is also very convincing.

"The Visit" contains good morals and a neat style. The format for the storytelling is unusually engaging. The film exposes Alex's inner emotions with fantasy scenes involving him and the different people in his life. Walker-Pearlman and cinematographer John Demps also work hard to create alternatives to the typical cuts back and forth between two characters sitting across from each another. I give the filmmakers credit for tying to produce a movie with a fresh flavor, but we don't fully absorb what we taste here.

This movie will change the way you think.

Sent to jail for a crime he didn't commit, Alex (HILL HARPER, He Got Game) must now fight to win his parole. His fight, however, is not with the prison authorities, but with himself. From behind the jail cell bars Alex looks on at the middle class life he left behind and his brother Tony (OBBA BABATUNDE, Life) who now has everything Alex does not. Visits from his parents (BILLY DEE WILLIAMS, MARLA GIBBS), his childhood sweetheart (RAE DAWN CHONG) and the prison psychiatrist (PHYLICIA RASHAD) start to rebuild Alex. Each visit teaches him to love not just the world, but himself. As this spiritual adventure of the heart reaches its unexpected climax, Alex shows us how we can all become better people when we face the demons inside us.

I really, really love this film, and think I am much better off for having seen it.