A pleasant surprise

Rating: 8/10 (27 August 2004)

Now really, what can one expect from a film that entirely centers around a foreigner stuck in an airport terminal? Well, in this case it turns out to be quite a lot. I had low expectations for "The Terminal" and was pleasantly surprised. First of all, the set is great. This film looks and feels like a living terminal. Spielberg comes through as director as well. How do you make filming inside an airport terminal interesting? Spielberg manages to do just that. But all of this would not matter if there was no story or characters to base it on. And without providing spoilers, lets just say Tom Hanks once again pulls off a film sustaining role. It helps that he is given a quality script to work with. Add to all of the above an unexpected group of protagonists, and antagonist and a little romance, and what more could one ask for from a night out at the movies. My only qualm is that "The Terminal" is over sentimental at times. And of course, it is a drama - no action here. A fine film nevertheless. 8/10