The Terminal
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Written by: Sacha Gervasi, Andrew Niccol, Jeff Nathanson
Starring: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci, Chi McBride

As a big fan of Steven Spielberg, i knew when i saw the trailer for ‘The Terminal’ that there would be something about it that i would enjoy. I don’t hate Tom Hanks as much as most people seem to, and i can look past the sometimes naive sentimentality of Spielberg’s films. Much like ‘Catch Me If You Can’, i went into ‘The Terminal’ only knowing that if it were presented by any other person, i probably wouldn’t be as interested in seeing it. In the end, Catch Me If You Can was one of my favourite movies of that year. The Terminal may not live up to that status, but i definitely wasn’t dissappointed.

The story is based loosely on a man who willingly lived in a French aiport for a number of years. In the film we find Tom Hanks playing Viktor Navorski, a somewhat confused man from the fictional country of Krakozia. Sometime during his flight to New York City, Viktor’s homeland experiences a political coup. The end result finds Viktor arriving at an international airport claiming to be from a country that, as of mere hours ago, no longer exists. Because of this, custom official Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci) refused to allow Viktor to set foot on American soil. After being given some food vouchers, he’s left roaming around the airport terminal with an invalid passport and no place to call home.

Over time Viktor befriends some of the airport employees and settles into an unusual non-existence. He finds ways to keep himself entertained and even an inventive way to make some money within the airport. As this happens, Dixon and his security crew watch in amazement through a series of security monitors. It seems as though Viktor is either happy to be there, or too naive to actually leave. Enter Catherine Zeta Jones as Amelia, an airline stewardess who dreams of meeting the perfect man. Until then, she settles for playing the role of the mistress to a married man. But when she meets Viktor, her eyes are opened to the possibility that the perfect man is out there, even though he may have some wack accent.

This film marks the continuing collaboration between Hanks and Spielberg, but more importantly the ongoing relationship of Spielberg and Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. They’ve worked together since Schindler’s List, and guarantee to present a visually creative picture. A story like The Terminal, in the hands of anyone else, would most likely be told with a visual staleness. Luckily the film ended up in the right hands and definitely has benefitted from it. Although a cool looking movie isn’t enough to hold your attention for two hours. Luckily the Terminal provides an interesting look at an interesting situation and Hanks manages to maintain his wack accent without getting too annoying.

Although the film contains some over the top romance, I felt it was done with a sort of wink to the audience. Spielberg seemed to pay homage to classic romantic films rather then try and present a modern love story. Either way, the romance is definitely the weakest part of the film.

I’m sure many film nerds, still holding a grudge against Spielberg for ruining Stanely Kubrick’s image of A.I., will find themselves hating this picture. However, they may find some solace in the performance of Kumar Pallanatucci (famous for his roles in every Wes Anderson film.) as a janitor who loves to watch people slip on his wet floor. I guess this reinforces the fact that Spielberg, or at least his casting director, still has his ear to the ground for that fresh new talent.

In the end, although this isn’t the best film of the year, or the best Spielberg film (1941 all the way), it definitely kept me entertained, and yes, even touched. Although I think I found myself moved more by the cinematography rather then the romance. – Jay C.