An immigrant Viktor Navorski has come to New York City to keep a promise to his father and see a little bit of America before he heads home. Speaking very little English he is confused when he is detained by the Immigration Department at the JFK Airport. It seems while is plane was in the air heading for America his tiny country in Eastern Europe underwent a coop. All of the heads of state have been murdered or fled. The United Nations and America has removed them as a country until the trouble is over and a new government is in place. This is a big problem for Viktor Navorski who now cannot enter American soil, as his passport and Visa are no longer valid, nor can he head home as his country has suspended all incoming flights on the account of the coop. As a man without a home, he is forced to take up residence in the terminal itself, as he finds himself befriending the staff of the airport, But as time goes by and he is not sure if he will ever be able to leave, the head of Airline security finds himself in a pickle as he cannot continue to let Viktor continue to live in the airport itself. And along the way Viktor will also find himself falling in love with an airline flight attendant Amelia making him unsure whether he wants to leave the terminal after all.

This movie is a refreshing breeze in what is the summer box office season. Not that I don’t enjoy the big budget, over the top popcorn films that dominate the summer season but it is always nice to see a movie that relies more on acting and their ability to tell a story rather than just special effects as a way to make a movie enjoyable. It’s always nice to take a break from all the action and enjoy a really good drama that can stir your heart strings as well as totally entrance you in a wonderful tale. And how can you go wrong with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg collaborating in their third movie together. Tom Hanks is probably the best actor in Hollywood at the moment and he puts in another stellar performance as it is so easy to feel for him and be enthralled by him. While Spielberg is one of Hollywood’s finest directors and a man who always surrounds himself with good projects and good actors like Hanks. The eastern European accent was a little over the top at times, but Hanks stuck it through and eventually you see him as Viktor Navorski as he captures another part. I was also impressed with Catherine Zeta-Jones as she does a fine compliment to Hanks and they seemed to have the chemistry to make it work. If you are looking for a good drama, this is the movie for you.
4 stars out of 5