Value for money. Review on The Terminal Movie

The depression of choosing Tauba Tauba was still with us so I and my friend decided to go see ''The Terminal'' which was our original plan yesterday also.

If you are looking for a quicktip on the movie - Smashing!

And now for the detailed review. I will reveal only as much about the plot as you can get from anywhere else on the net so as not to spoil the movie experience for you.

Steven Spielberg is kind of a haphazard director, some of his movies will be too good for words and then some just plain boring. Fortunately, this one is too good for words. 20 minutes into the movie it struck me that the movie is not as serious as it sounded from all the reviews I read here on this site and elsewhere. The movie is full of laughter, and none of that is slapstick comedy. The laughter comes from the situations, and from the witty dialogue.

Tom Hanks as Victor Navorski is a citizen of the fictional country Krakozhia. While he was on his way to NYC there took place in his country a military coup, following which the US of A stops recognizing the country under its new regime. The result is that Victor is not allowed to enter the soil of United States and he's not allowed to leave as his passport is now invalid and is confiscated by the authorities at the JFK airport.

Frank Dixon, an ambitious new field commissioner, tells Navorski about this situation and tells him that he has to wait at the terminal itself. So, here is a man, without any documents, without any country, prisoner of the international airport lounge. It's a big place with shopping malls, food courts et. al. but still...

Let me just be philosophical here and try to analyze why the public loves this movie. It's all in Victor's character. Look at his minus points - he has no documents, no official status, no freedom, no knowledge of English, no US money and no friends.

I would say no enemies also but Frank Dixon kind of appoints himself to that post. Look at his plus points - he's honest, he's witty, he's intelligent, very considerate and all in all quite lovable and friendly. So the result? He manages to make new friends and not only does he manage to survive but he braves every new day with all of its problems with a surprising buyoancy that teaches us something new about life.

The movie is a great entertainer, the audience laugh and clap a lot but it has its emotional moments. Sometimes laughter turns into an eye-welling scene just by one dialogue. Like this scene where Dixon is trying to persuade Navorski to admit a fear of going back to Krakozhia so he can send him to NYC for a trial and it's a hilarious scene because of Victor's very little knowledge of English and his random application of the few phrases he knows until the very end when Dixon gets frustrated and tells Victor to say that he's afraid of Krakozhia and Victor says, ''Is home. No afraid to go home.'' Just like that.

The entry of Catherine Zeta Jones is quite interesting and a glamorous point in the picture. She has the face and the figure to liven up the silver screen. My only complain about the movie is that Catherine is almost always shown in the flight uniform never in a glamorous dress.

Catherine is a successful, gorgeous, wanted-by-men, envied-by-woman kind of girl and typically she falls for all the wrong kinds of men; until she meets Victor Navorski. She's very much taken by his honest, simple and witty character and there ensues an enviable friendship.

Finally, the story takes some weird turns and some people would not like the end though it is very realistic.

Direction by Steven Spielberg is very tight, very dynamic, never a dull moment for the audience. Portrayal of Victor Navorski by Tom Hanks is very much true to life and it couldn't have been done any better. His walk, his talk, his accent, his wit, he's Victor Navorski to boot.

Audience is able to identify themselves with him and that makes the movie more entertaining, more hilarious. Admittedly Steven has milked the Wet Floor joke for all it was worth but in my opinion he has gotten away with it.

The movie is clean and fast-paced so you can watch it with anyone, friends, girlfriend, spouse, family or even alone. It's an amazing movie!