Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci
Director: Steven Spielberg

Funny and Endearing, Though a Tad Illogical

By Mary-Ann Russon • UrbanWire
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Diego Luna, Tom Hanks, Kuma Pallan & Chi McBride in cahoots

If you've ever been in transit you'll know how agonising it is to have to wait around for hours on end in the airport, fingering the same things in the duty-free shops for the 10th time. But can you imagine being stuck in airport for 9 months?

Meet Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks).

A citizen of Krakozhia (a fictitious country in Eastern Europe), Victor arrives in John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, on his first trip to America, only to be told by prim-and-proper airport official Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci) that a military coup has broken out in his homeland, rendering his passport invalid. As he can't enter New York City, and he can't go back to Krakozhia, Victor is stranded in the airport with just a few food vouchers and an international phone card - indefinitely.

Stanley Tucci as straight-laced Frank Dixon

Although not at first understanding what has happened, Victor settles into a new, though awkward existence - sleeping on rows of seats in Gate 67 (a waiting lounge under renovation) and thinking up innovative ways to earn money, which range from putting trolleys away to collect quarters (25 cent coins) from a machine, to joining the airport construction crew.

As the days turn to weeks, the weeks to months, Victor becomes integrated into the befuddling, fast-paced world of the airport, learning its secrets, making friends with the staff - baggage handler Joe Mulroy (Chi McBride), food service worker Enrique Cruz (Diego Luna) and cleaner Gupta Rajan (Kumar Pallana) - and even falling in love with Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a pretty flight attendant who, though completely opposite to Victor in personality, is just as alone as he is.

Inspired by the incredible true story of Iranian exile Mehran Karimi Nasseri, who has been living in Charles de Gaulle International Airport, France, for much longer, the last 16 years in fact, The Terminal is a movie about intricate relationships, and how people from diverse backgrounds can learn to understand and co-exist with each other.

Catherine Zeta-Jones & Tom Hanks enjoy some unusual entertainment

Amelia Warren, a girl unlucky in love, is dying for someone to listen to her, and Victor does just that. Enrique Cruz, a young man madly in love with immigration officer Torres (Zoe Saldana), who hasn't a clue who he is, reaches out to Victor, begging him to play matchmaker in exchange for food from the airline food service kitchens.

The most interesting relationship of all however, is between Victor and the airport official Frank Dixon. Dixon likes to play by the rules, to have everything as it should be, and when Victor upsets the natural order of the airport, Dixon tries desperately to get rid of him, by trying to cut off Victor's access to food, and even trying to tempt him to leave the airport. However, Victor is adamant that he will not break the law in order to gain his freedom, and it is hilarious watching Victor outwit Dixon time after time, for example, when Victor manages to get a job with the airport construction crew, and through doing so, ends up earning more than Dixon does in a day. Watching Dixon complaining about it as he watched Victor through his bank of security cameras was extremely funny.

What's Your Favourite Colour?

Tom Hanks, while not looking remotely Eastern European, basically sells the film with his endearing performance as Victor, a man full of quiet determination who gradually warms the hearts of everyone around him. The supporting characters, which include acclaimed actors Diego Luna (Dirty Dancing 2, Y Tu Mamá También) and Chi McBride (I, Robot, Boston Public), also go a long way in bringing life to this story.

Unfortunately every film has a weak point, and this one's problem is logic. Although some of the situations are believable, a few aren't, particularly the proposal and marriage of Enrique Cruz to his crush officer Torres, which though very sweet, was highly improbable.

Nonetheless, Steven Spielberg's vision of showing how connected the world is today is duly realised, and Tom Hanks is sure to have you rooting for him till the very end.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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