When I first watched this film, close to its release, I was swept up in its negative buzz and remember finding the movie cheesy and boring.

Rating: 8/10 (17 February 2020)

Recently, for whatever reason I read an article about filmmakers' careers post-9/11, in particular, Steven Spielberg's; And while War of the Worlds is him coming to terms with the trauma of the event, The Terminal is his initial response of international love and unity in a time threatening the opposite from all sides. The international supporting cast of colourful characters is neither too generic and plain nor too stereotypical and cliché, they are the sort of flawed weirdos you find in life, and you learn to love them because they don't actually fit inside a box you've built for them out of your initial prejudices.
Tucci is not a moustache-twirling villain, and even when he's lost, literally outside of the airport work environment, his humanity shines through. He's a fascinating relatable sort of figure, his self-interest is frighteningly accurate to those times when you've (had to) value career or workplace rules over the human element, you feel sorry for his inability to relate to Viktor due to his career requirements. And the film ensures it elegantly explains the rules and logic as to why Viktor can't leave and clearly outlines the motivations of Tucci's 'villain' character.
Zeta Jones, initially out of place, actually seems to be channelling the screwball comedy elements of the script. And even though Hanks' performance is close to Eastern-European-Face, it's earnest and layered and it feels nothing like the actor we usually see. He portrays a bumbling charming oaf who is also a skilled creator and a romantic, he has hidden layers and complexities shown to those who have the time, or have the foresight to ask him.
The set and extra work should be applauded for its background realism, it's a real piece of art to make it feel natural. So set in this fake place, The Terminal is a fake story about possibly a fake man, but it's 100% real in its sentiment. Even the fact that it's set in an airport so close to 9/11 screams that Spielberg wants to tell you it's ok to see humanity in these places so soon after. It's a film about prejudice and misunderstanding, about how silly borders and checkpoints and glass doors and forms and rules can be and how much they separate us, it's about how similar we all are in essence, and moreover it's about love. The world needs more of these kind of movies, sadly, now more than ever.