Salocin

The Terminal

The Terminal is a wonderful movie that has Spielberg and Hanks telling a charming parable while weaving in lots of emotional messages about the values that make us who we are, or what makes America America. But this time it's done with the degree of tact that indicates at least a modicum of respect for the intelligence of the audience, and so we watch with benign amusement as the unfortunate Viktor Navorski is bruised and battered by the INS. Those of us who have also been victimised by these all-powerful individuals will sympathise, and Americans too will walk away smiling as their country provides - despite a couple of unsavoury authority figures - a powerful attraction and a slew of redeeming qualities that Navorski encounters along the way.

Viktor Navorski comes from Krakozhia, a country that suffered a coup while he was in the air, and he finds himself in JFK with a recently-invalidated passport, that contains a recently-withdrawn visa. Unusupecting of the trouble this entails, and not understanding the security guards, it takes quite some time for him to realize that this means he may not enter the United States. But worse than this, he may not leave it either. This condemns him to a protracted stay in the international transfer lounge.

His willingness to find solutions to his problems and to make the best of a bad situation result in his making many friends, and building himself somewhat of a home among the transience of the airport. His creative solutions to problems and honest (and perhaps a little naive) emotional responses to the machinations of those around him confound the expectations of his tormentors, leading to a humorous stand-off that costs them more that it costs him.

With Catherine Zeta-Jones in an unusual role as a vulnerable romantic interest, and a slew of characters that provide a rich backdrop to the terminal itself, this film will leave you with a sense that there really is strength in diversity, and that we could do with a little of Mr. Navorski's character in us all.

You can view the trailer at apple.com

You can read all about it at the Internet Movie Database.