Viewed in
2009
Premise
Tom Hanks plays a European who, due to circumstances out of his control, is forced to live in a New York airport, unable to enter the United States, and unable to leave the United States.
Who should watch
Tom Hanks fans. Those who want something light cheerful but with heart.
Thoughts
It was a nice film that made me laugh and smile.
Tom Hanks was excellent with his acting, especially with his accent and mannerisms. We know Hanks these days as a great serious actor, but here, he was Viktor Navorski, a man completely lost, yet (with smarts and luck) slowly gets control of his dilemma.
Most of the characters were well-written and performed. Stanley Tucci was a strong villain without being despicable. I really enjoyed Viktor's friends in the airport, they were unique and very likable.
I guess I should have seen it coming, but with Steven Spielberg adding his obligatory happy ending flair, the ending was somewhat predictable and anticlimactic. I do not mean it had to be ground-breaking. However, with Spielberg and Hanks, I expected some more emotional 'oomph' factor.
Overall, I had a good time in this fish out of water film, thanks to the charming characters.
What I would change
Reduced the Catherine Zeta-Jones part. Her character brought a lot of comedy and sweetness between her and Viktor Navorski. However, I think they were pressured to give her more dramatic screen time. A simplified back story work make the plot tighter and her character less distracting.
Random
Talk about foretelling, the actress who played a Star Trek loving minor character ended up as Uhuru in the 2009 'Star Trek'.
