You’ve got to hand it to Steven Spielberg. One of the greatest living directors in American cinema, the man who brought us Jaws, Close Encounters, Schindler’s List and Jurassic Park to name but a few could choose any CGI-led project he likes, but instead he opts for a lowish budget film that could almost have come from the mind of British author JG Ballard about living in an airport. From first glances it doesn’t sound like it could work but, by jingo, he pulls it off with style.

Tom Hanks plays Viktor, an Eastern European from Krakozhia who arrives in New York’s JFK airport innocently enough, barely able to speak English, to find that whilst he’s been in flight his country is worldwide news due to a military coup.  Stanley Tucci, a power-hungry bureaucrat, tells Viktor that until his country stabilizes he cannot enter the country – in short, he cannot leave the airport terminal – so Victor finds himself alone, barely able to understand what is happening to him and without any way of supporting himself.

This is where the great performances, script and Spielberg’s masterful direction come into play as we learn that Viktor is more than capable of adapting to his surroundings and manages to bring out the best in virtually everyone he comes into contact with, particularly Catherine Zeta Jones’ unhappy, man-troubled air stewardess.

 

The movie isn’t perfect (the ending seemed rather unresolved), but there are some fine performances, particularly from Hanks and the group of friends he makes.  Spielberg can’t seem to do much wrong these days, particularly with his leading man in tow.  Could this be a new Bogart/Huston, Wayne/Ford or DeNero/Scorcese partnership?  Only time will tell.

(4/5)

 

Release Date: 31 January 2005

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The Terminal