THE TERMINAL  received message, loud and clear!

Rating: 7/10 (26 July 2007)

(Karthik Narayan) The word "Terminal" means a couple of things - terminal meaning an airport terminus or a station, and also meaning communication system  And all are powerfully and intellectually captured in this movie; A rather intriguing, pressing film about a guy who gets into nowhere, a position that he didn't get into, but owing to circumstances beyond his control, has to live in an airport terminal for God-knows-for-how-long! Based on a real life story, the movie shows how language can become a barrier and also how it can be overcome once you have the right attitude. Survival instincts of a man trapped in no-man's land are so sharply showcased in this motion picture.
A beautiful picture painted of the adage  where there is a will, there is a way out, and there certainly was a "way out" for our hero Victor (talk about the perfect name for your hero- victor indeed)! The movie keeps you guessing; the elements of suspense, thrilling moments that one would associate with Steven Spielberg (the director) are there.
The fictional country of Krakozhia is well represented by Tom Hanks and he delivers the Bulgarian language smoothly; not that most of us know Bulgarian, but it is hard for an English speaker to pretend he doesn't understand English  so in that context its great acting.
Tom Hanks looks young and handsome, and interestingly even though this movie came in 2004, he looks younger than in 2002 ("Catch me if you can"). And after Castaway, most of his movies seem to portray him getting into all sorts of problems and his coming out of them.
Catherine Zeta Jones is a confused American woman who can't choose for herself. She and Hanks has something going, or so it seems, but we gather that in the end, she can't make up her mind at all. Now, I am not for male chauvinism, but her role had major flaws in it. However, she does excite us all with her appearances now and then.
The end was rather surprising  shocking may be the right word, with all the interest and chemistry generated by the lead woman (Catherine Zeta Jones), as Shakespeare would have aptly named it, much ado about nothing. Or a blown experiment, even. But that's the story, to like it or not like it  that's left to you.
Rating  7.5/10 (for its suspense mainly).