The Terminal

One of the best Tom Hanks films. There have been many, but this one is up there with my favourites.

Meet Victor Navorski. A middle-aged man that's just travelled to America from Krakozhia, a fictional place in this world which by his accent seems like somewhere in the Slavic region, or at least this is implied. Sadly, when he was in flight revolution broke out in his country and was denied entry into the United States until everything was resolved. He was now in a precarious situation, where he could neither enter or go home.

This film is based off the true story of Mehran Karimi Nasseri who spent a total of 18 years at Terminal 1 of Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. The events in this film inside the terminal are entirely fictional of course.

Frank Dixon, the acting field commissioner of the airport tells Viktor to stay in the transport lounge until the situation blows over, however Viktor finds a terminal that's being renovated and turns it into his home.

Of course this angers Dixon, because he wants Viktor gone. He's causing him hassle, and he's up for review soon and is being considered for promotion. He thinks that something like this will look bad on his record. He can't send him home, so he does the only thing that's available to him and that's leave the airport gates wide open for Viktor to run away.

However Viktor being the peaceful and co-operative citizen that he is doesn't take the opportunity presented to him and goes back to living in the airport.

All through this film Dixon tries many ways to limit Viktors accessibility to food and ways and means to getting it, but Viktor always finds a way to triumph. The laughable moment comes when a group of airport contractors who are renovating the terminal find out that Viktor really is a very good tradesman and end up paying him real money under the table, and funnily it's more than Frank Dixon earns.

There's many things in this film; Viktor even befriends some airport staff that get together and have fun. He's been known to end up in card games with them, or help one of them get a date with a woman he likes.

It's a really heart warming film and the typical type that you would find Tom Hanks in. This one is (I would say anyway) on par with Forest Gump, although not as epic in length and storytelling -- but a great nonetheless.

A must watch for the good feels!