A charming, simple movie that I can't say anything bad about

Rating: 8/10 (13 February 2015)

The Terminal is charming, feel-good and sweet, directed by Stephen Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks so really, how can you go wrong?
I definitely enjoyed this, it wasn't perfect and won't leave any lasting impressions but its one of those movies that just makes you feel good. The entire story takes place in JFK airport (which I understand is actually a set) surrounding Eastern European traveller Viktor Navorski. Just as Viktor arrives in New York his country enters into a civil war and his visa is cancelled leaving him stranded in the airport. With limited English Victor manages to survive what becomes months in the arrivals lounge. Gaining employment, friends and even entering into a brief romance.
Tom Hanks of course does a great job playing Viktor, his accent is addictive and he is a simple, sweet man. Personally I would have liked a bit more background on his life before JFK but for whatever reason his character is left vague and never fully developed. What really makes this movie though is not so much Hanks or Viktor but all the people he meets and becomes involved with while in the airport.
The secondary characters here are fantastic; Stanley Tucci as the airport boss and bad guy -love to hate him, the baggage handlers (Chi McBride) & (Diego Luna) and (Zoë Saldana) as an immigration official. And wow did I ever fall in love with grumpy, paranoid, wet floor watching, plate spinning janitor Gupta Raja (Kumar Pallana), he stole every scene he was in.
Catherine Zeta-Jones plays the love interest, she's a flight attendant who Narvorski tries to have a thing with but she's all tied up with a married man. I liked that they kept the romance as a side story and didn't turn this into a straight out romance.
All in a pretty fantastic little movie that kept my interest, gave me some laughs and left me feeling good. 12/16/14