Interesting bit of comedy drama from Spielberg

Rating: 6/10 (30 April 2020)

Director Steven Spielberg collaborates with actor Tom Hanks in this comedy drama from 2004.
Hanks plays Eastern European Viktor Navorski a resident of the fictional state of Krakhozia. Navorski is refused entry to New York when his homeland undergoes a military coup/war during his flight to the U.S. His passport is therefore not valid and the head of the border police orders him to stay in the International Departure Lounge of the airport!
Armed with broken English, a few food vouchers and a pager in case he is needed by the authorities Navorski makes the lounge his home for months whilst the war is still raging. Along the way we meet a few other characters who regularly work in the terminal.
A side story has Catherine Zeta-Jones appearing as a United Airlines hostess who Viktor develops a relationship with. I found some of these scenes distracted from the main story and were just included in the film to allow the casting of Zeta-Jones.
Hanks is an actor I've never particularly endeared to but he plays Viktor well. I was a bit uncomfortable with the border authorities attitude towards someone with little to no English vocabulary skills! Apparently the story is inspired by the story of an Iranian refugee stuck in Paris Charles De Gaulle for years! I couldn't think of any worse situation. I hate airports at the best of time. They are just shopping malls!
Spielberg is not particularly known for his comedy is he? In this film there are several perhaps inadvertent comedic moments such as Viktor looking into security cameras and pulling faces or staff playing cards for items of lost and found items! The film is pretty unique in my opinion. I've not seen a film like it before or since it's release in 2004. Interesting.