Movie spotlight
The Visitors
A celebration of creativity, community, and friendship, The Visitors (2012) documents a 64-minute durational performance Kjartansson staged with some of his closest friends at the romantically dilapidated Rokeby Farm in upstate New York. Each of the nine channels shows a musician or group of musicians, including some of Iceland’s most renowned as well as members of the family that owns Rokeby Farm, performing in a separate space in the storied house and grounds; each wears headphones to hear the others. As the music begins and repeats, individual players stop, start, and move between rooms. Viewed together, the individual videos present an ensemble performance Kjartansson calls a “feminine nihilistic gospel song.” The piece itself sets lyrics from a poem by artist Ásdís Sif Gunnarsdóttir, Ragnar´s ex-wife, to a musical arrangement by the artist and Icelandic musician Davíð Þór Jónsson; the title comes from a 1981 album from Swedish pop band ABBA, meant to be its last.
Insights
Plot Summary
A group of aliens lands in a Paris park with a mission to conquer Earth, but they quickly find themselves dealing with more mundane human problems. Their leader's plan to take over the world is disrupted by his daughter's forbidden love for a human and the general incompetence of his alien followers. The aliens must navigate human society and emotions while trying to maintain their mission, leading to a series of comedic and dramatic encounters.
Critical Reception
The Visitors received a mixed to positive reception from critics and audiences. While some praised its comedic premise and visual effects, others found the plot to be somewhat predictable and the humor occasionally fell flat. The film was generally seen as a lighthearted, if not groundbreaking, science-fiction comedy.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its ambitious concept and visual flair.
Criticized for a plot that sometimes struggles to balance comedy and drama.
Generally considered an entertaining, albeit uneven, alien invasion comedy.
Google audience: Audiences found the film to be a fun and engaging comedy with some clever moments, though a portion felt it could have been funnier or had a more developed storyline. The performances were generally well-received.
Fun Fact
The film was part of a larger multimedia project that included a video game and a comic book series, though the film itself did not directly adapt from them but rather shared a similar thematic universe.
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