For its closing night film, the festival programmed a tour d' force performance from Richard Jenkins! He is in nearly every frame of this film about a man whose world will be challenged and innate talents revealed by interacting with people from outside his little bubble. They are illegal immigrants, who have sub-let his apartment (in the only weak plot point of the film) in NYC. (He teaches in Connecticut and keeps the apartment for...?) Once that little technical hurdle in the screenplay has passed, the rest of what unfolds is particularly touching. Jenkins, whose persona is so "Willy Loman" as to provide a life long career in character roles, uses that tool as an invitation to the audience to view this new world through his eyes. As Jenkins moves from a nearly soulless professor of economics, to becoming a street musician, he appears as excited and surprised by that transformation as the audience is. The supporting cast is also excellent. Haaz Sleiman, plays "Tarek" a Syrian man, and Danai Gurira, as his Senegalese girlfriend, portray the fear and cynicism of this potential confrontation with the conservative Jenkins. When Hiam Abbass (as Tarek’s mother) arrives, Jenkins has already become part of this multi-cultural family unit. Once the issue of deportation is introduced, Jenkins opens up in ways we have never seen from him before, in this film or any of his previous work that is known to me. Thomas McCarthy may have a hole or two in his screenplay, but his direction of this cast is nothing if not SPOT ON! There is not a missed glance or line wasted. The economy of the performances is outstanding. The film's pacing is subtle and never lags. The production design is marginal, however, the costume design, especially of Jenkins and Gurira, is subliminally brilliant! Hopefully, this will reward Richard Jenkins for a once in a lifetime performance. During the Q&A, the device of the illegally sub-let apartment was brought up, and fairly dismissed. As for the emotionally ambiguous resolution... well, to speak of it anymore here, would be to spoil it. http://jaycbird.blogspot.com