Review of The Terminal (2004) by Venkatesh S — 31 Mar 2012

The world was on the outside, and he was on the inside.

I didn't quite know what to expect when I sat down to watch this...So it didn't fail to meet my expectations, but it didnt really live up to them either.

It's a charming off beat comedy about friends, family, and an airport.

The Story: Shortly after his arrival at JFK Airport, Viktor Navorskis home country of Krakozia goes to war, leaving him without a country. As a result, he can't legally leave the airport and enter the United States. The story centers around this lovable character and his indefinite wait for acceptance into the United States. Along the way, he meets several interesting characters, that bring life to the terminal...So, while living in an airport because of a warring country, a man makes several interesting friends, and even manages to make an enemy...Sorry, something about this story just seemed hard to explain for some reason, so hopefully somewhere in there you can make some sense.

The Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci... There's actually a lot more than this, but these three are the heavy hitters of the crowd. Tom Hanks is Viktor Navorski, stranded and without a country, forced to live in the terminal, and in love with a flight attendant. He's perfect here, his accent, his emotions, his physical quirks and nervous ticks are all played with flawless accuracy. Catherine Zeta-Jones, is Amelia, the lovely flight attendant who can't seem to find a good man. She's not too prominent here, as her character is surprisingly underused. Her performance is good for the time that she's on screen. Not the most original character in the film but definitely the nicest to look at. Stanley Tucci is Frank Dixon, the man in charge of the airport. He's got a great chemistry with Hanks' character, as he only wants to see him leave the airport. His performance is as solid as can be, he plays the comedy perfect and the drama just as good. A great solid cast.

One to Five Scale: 4.

It's a bit long, but there's never a dull moment. It's a film that you're going to want to see more than once. Worth a rental, worth a purchase, go out and see this film.

Tyler.