Good Movie. Review on The Terminal Movie

Watched this movie on VCD last night – a good print, and a very engrossing movie.

The background

Victor Navorski (Hanks) is a visitor to the US arriving from the central European (fictitious) republic of Krakozhia. En route to the US, there is a military coup in his country of which he is not aware, and on his arrival at the Terminal, he is declared persona non grata by the airport immigration and customs as all diplomatic ties with his country have been destroyed by the coup.

The dilemma

Therein lies the dilemma – The Airport authorities cannot deport him back, they cannot allow him into the US, therefore, he has to stay at the terminal. Of course, Navorski does not understand a word of what he is being told because of the fact that he does not speak any English.

This forms the basis for what turns out to be a fascinating, engrossing story about how a loophole (imagined) in the US immigration systems forces Navorski to make the terminal his home. The story keeps you gripping your armchair rests, not knowing what is going to happen next.

The story (not the plot)

The story proceeds with Navorski, now realizing he cannot leave the terminal, and cannot go back home. His is a fight for survival. Stranded with no passport, which has been confiscated by the airport authorities, having lost his meal tickets while helping a lady, Navorski is stuck in a strange place where he cannot understand any body, and no body can understand him. The very simplicity of his personality and thought process render Navorski a person who would never even think of breaking the rules, or trying to contravene procedure and get into the US illegally, so he waits, day after day after day for permission to enter the US.

Gate 67 becomes his home – he sets up a bed using terminal seats being repaired, he uses the airport toilets for his use. For food, he initially collects quarters by returning trolleys to the trolley center and buys food with those, until the airport director, wanting to force him to try and leave the terminal and break rules (after which he is somebody elses problem) cuts off that option for him. He is then fed by one of the terminal cleaning staff from flight dinners. For this he has to carry messages to a cute immigration official in whom the cleaner is interested in.

The story grows on you as Navorski learns English along the way, in his 9 month wait at the terminal to get permission to enter the US. He meets an attractive air hostess Amelia (Zeta Jones) who is having an affair with a married man. They strike up a friendship based on their love for history. The movie ends with the cessation of hostilities in Krakozhia, and Navorski being allowed to travel back to his country.

Analysis

The story is a directors and actors masterpiece, with all the actors doing great jobs, with a very deep interplay in emotions and characters. Each character has been well developed, from the floor cleaner – an Indian who has run away from Chennai after killing a cop, to the black security guard, who sympathises with Navorski, to the airport field commissioner, who is bent on trying to get Navorski out of his terminal by any means necessary.

A brilliant movie, worth a watch – there are no dragging moments in the movie at all. The end may leave some feeling a tad disappointed, but it is a realistic ending to the movie.

Endnote

Well, I have purposely not revealed the plot, though I have revealed quite a bit about the background of the story. There is a major portion of the story involving why Navorski is in the US in the first place, and what happens to his relationship with Amelia, and the end of the movie. So, find your nearest theater playing ‘The Terminal’, grab some popcorn and get ready for some time at the terminal- don’t miss it.