This movie is about two people who being as poles apart as they are
strangely have such characteristics which reside in the psyche of all
humans.
One of them is Viktor Navroski(Tom Hanks), who on arrival in an American airport
from his homeland Krakozia finds that a coup in his country has rendered
him as a man from nowhere and he is hopelessly stuck in the international
transit lounge.
The second is Frank Dixon(Stanley Tucci), customs official in charge of the airport
who dreams of becoming commisioner one day. He expertly states the case
for Viktor but still wants him out of his hair as soon as possible.
Stuck in the airport, Viktor soon learns about the inner workings of the airport.
He returns luggage trolleys in exchange for the quarters which he uses for food.
Dixon, who wants Viktor out of his hair, tries to get him to leave the airport
so that he becomes someone elses problem. He evens leaves the door to the outside
world unguarded and persuades Viktor to escape but Viktor smells a rat and refuses
to leave.
Dixon stops Viktors trolleys for quarters routine by appointing personnel
exclusively for the task of collecting trolleys.
Dixon is frustrated by the fact that Viktor does not break any laws
and in a sense has fallen through a crack in the system not even
meticulous man like him could see. Even when he offers Viktor
asylum he refuses to lie.''Are you afraid of returning to your country?''
''Not afraid,'' he says simply. ''But aren't you afraid of something?''
''I am afraid for ... ghosts,'' says Navorski.
Viktor quickly makes friends in the terminal which include a luggage
handler Mulroy (Chi McBride), an Indian janitor Gupta Rajan (Kumar Pallana)
who leaves the floor wet and watches as passengers ignore the
little yellow warning pyramids and slip and fall (''This is the only
fun I have,'' he says), a food handler Enrique (Diego Luna) who provides
Viktor with food for acting as a go between him and an INS officer
(Zoe Saldana) who he is in love with.
Viktor starts earning big bucks as a skille worker on the airpot
maintenance crew to the increasing frustration of Dixon and meets
Amelia (Zeta-Jones) a flight attendant who is having an affair with
a married man and finds in Viktor an irreplaceable friend.
The movie finally sells out in the end and Viktor accomplishes the goal
for which he came to US in the first place and the coup ends conveniently
so he can return to Krakozia.
I wish Speilberg had a little more guts to make the end less crowd pleasing.
Tom Hanks is excellent as Navorski and handles the European accent and Viktor's
increasing fluency in English well.
Here is a howlarious parley between him and Enrique
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Enrique Cruz: She had a boyfriend, for how long?
Viktor Navorski: [nods yes, holds up two fingers]
Enrique Cruz: Two years, what happened?
Viktor Navorski: He chit,
Enrique Cruz: What?
Viktor Navorski: He chit,
Enrique Cruz: Eat Shit?
Viktor Navorski: He chit, he chit, he chit.
Enrique Cruz: Okay, try to repeat exactly what she said.
Viktor Navorski: He chit, she catch him so...
Enrique Cruz: He cheats!
Viktor Navorski: Yes, Yes, Yes! What we call Krushkach. one man, two womans, So Um, Crowded you know?
Enrique Cruz: He Cheats, we say cheats.
Viktor Navorski: Eurique, you no chit.
Enrique Cruz: No cheat.
Viktor Navorski: No chit.
Enrique Cruz: I won't cheat.
Viktor Navorski: Shes a nice girl, she won't take your chitting.
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Stanley Tucci has the hard boiled is good as are the rest of the supporting cast.
The set design and the camera and so well done that not for a moment do we suspect
that we are not within a real airport terminal
In the beginning I said that the characteristics of both Viktor, the man who takes
life head on and makes it through and Dixon, the man who lives a cold by-the-book life
and has not room for sentiment, reside in all of us.
This makes me both happy and sad
