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Viktor Navorski, a contract worker from the fictional Krakhozia is stuck at the JFK Airport because his country is at war and the government has fallen, thus making Viktor a "man without a country".
If you were to take this in a Dante-esque manner, then Viktor is stuck in a Limbo, with Dixon playing the role of the Devil and Amelia as a Saint, his Beatrice even. New York, to Viktor is Heaven, his Krakhozia is Hell, if just for 9 months, and the JFK Airport is Purgatory, with Mulroy, Gupta and Enrique being the unfortunate souls, as well as his Guides.
So, with that said, The Terminal is, as of yet, Spielberg's last great directed film, although his upcoming Lincoln looks very promising and is likely to break his bad-luck chain. Anyway, since Tom Hanks had previously worked with Spielberg before on Saving Private Ryan, the chemistry and comfortability between the two was obvious. Both understood each other and maxed out their talents. However, I do have one qualm: Viktor never does at any time act like a stranger in a strange land. If he does, then only in the first 20-or-so minutes. Basically Viktor is more of a above-age, foreign version of Forrest Gump, or at least that's how it felt to me. Had he been an escapee or retard of some sort, his character would've been more believable. Then we have Amelia Warren, a wrong character stumbled in the wrong film. Amelia was so out of tune from the movie, totally detached to everything around her and nothing the character said, or did, was convincing.
I mean, the story is simple, the ending is very heart-warming and few scenes require repeated rewinds, (alliterative sentences are one of my specialties) but the method of execution of the film wasn't up to mark. It was like they had the right cemetery, but were digging the wrong grave.
Anyway, from the performances, Tom Hanks, as ever, was brilliant and A+ in his role as Viktor Navorski. A standing ovation to his tackling of the character. Stanley Tucci is one of those actors that you see less, but what you see may, or may not, leave an impression on you - good or OK, but never bad. He also handled his character Dixon in an impressive manner, although more screen-time could've been better. The supporting were also good, but most have done better roles like Zoe Saldana and Catherine Zeta Jones. The minor cast were just OK, nothing exceptional.
In all, The Terminal is a good movie but may not play to your expectations.
6.5/10
