THE VISITOR — ★ ★ ★ ½ — Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbass, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira; rated PG-13 (profanity, slurs)

"The Visitor" may not have any big names in its cast, but it certainly makes up for that by having a lot of character.

What that means is that this fairly low-key comedy-drama has more character development than any American film in recent memory. And it also favors more realistic plotting and other story details.

As you may have guessed, that means the movie doesn't end on the note that audiences may expect. But that air of unpredictability only makes it that much more rewarding.

Veteran character actor Richard Jenkins stars as Walter Vale, a repressed widower and Connecticut economics professor who's returned to New York City for a weeklong conference.

Walter is supposed to be presenting a paper and is planning to stay in his long-unoccupied apartment there. But he discovers that two illegal immigrants, Tarek and Zainab (Haaz Sleiman and Danai Jekesai Gurira), have been living in the apartment.

At first, he's indignant and gives them the boot. But Walter reconsiders and allows the duo to stay while they try to find other accommodations.

Vale eventually befriends the talented Tarek, who teaches the aspiring musician some African drumming techniques. And Vale suddenly finds himself in the middle of an immigration dispute when Tarek arrested in the subway and is in danger of being deported.

Screenwriter/director Tom McCarthy ("The Station Agent") uses these situations to discuss hot-button topics such as Homeland Security, bureaucratic red tape and immigration policies, but not in a way where it overwhelms the story narrative or bludgeons the audience.

He also gets fine performances by from the cast, especially Jenkins, whose transformation from icy, aloof scholar to warmer world citizen is quite believable.

Relative newcomers Sleiman and Gurira are very good as well. And Israeli actress Hiam Abbass nearly steals the film's latter half in a supporting role as Tarek's mother.

"The Visitor" is rated PG-13 for scattered strong profanity (including one usage of the so-called, "R-rated" curse word), some brief violence (a brief brawl, and some police abuse), and slurs based on nationality and ethnicity. Running time: 108 minutes.

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E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com