"The Terminal" - Good flick

I saw "The Terminal" last night, and it was a fun movie.

I'd been wanting to see it for several years, after seeing a short documentary on the real person the movie was based on (more on that below), and heard from the documentary makers that it had been picked up for this movie.

The movie actually has some sentimental moments, but you don't really notice because its crafted pretty well. I caught myself going "This is sort of syrupy, but I don't mind... whoa").

I only have one problem with the movie and its a problem that has little to do with the movie itself, rather with its lack of acknowledgement for its inspiration:

The real person, "Sir Alfred of Charles de Gaulle", is an Iranian man (who's changed his name to "Alfred") who's been stuck at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport for over TEN years. His bizarre story is the basis for this movie, but nowhere, not one place in any of the credits, is he mentioned at all as the inspiration. That's disgraceful.

Other than that, which detracts nothing from the movie, I liked it and recommend it.

Yea, I actually have been quite interested in this movie also. I really enjoy Steven's work and thought this would be a very good flick. Question, is it a good movie to bring a date, or more of an inward look at your life by yourself movie?

Jedah Doma said:

Question, is it a good movie to bring a date, or more of an inward look at your life by yourself movie?

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Steven Spielberg has made maybe two movies that fall into the latter category: Schindler's List and Amistad.

The Terminal is completely fine for a date. You'll both laugh.

I'll probably rent this movie when it gets out on DVD... I've heard nothing but good reviews with this movie...

I want to know when Tom Hanks will go back to other types of parts. He went from a mildy funny film in the Money Pit, to being a Mentally Challeneged person telling a story on a bench, a stranded postal worker stranded on a beach, and now a man stuck in a terminal at an airport.

What's next? Waiting in line at the DMV?

I have a question. How the hell does this guy end up stuck in an airport for ten freaking years?

I saw the first 30 minutes during a sneak preview and walked out.

I had issues with the fact that I knew the inspiration and got a little to empathetic. It pissed me off.

I understand why SS didn't want to make it a middle easterner stuck in an airport. I mean, other than the fact he's a Jewish supremacist, it isn't the social climate for such a film. Tom Hanks is a good actor though.

EvilWasabi said:

I saw the first 30 minutes during a sneak preview and walked out.

I had issues with the fact that I knew the inspiration and got a little to empathetic. It pissed me off.

I understand why SS didn't want to make it a middle easterner stuck in an airport. I mean, other than the fact he's a Jewish supremacist, it isn't the social climate for such a film. Tom Hanks is a good actor though.

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Yeah, the movie's excellent, but I had the same issues.

genjiglove said:

I have a question. How the hell does this guy end up stuck in an airport for ten freaking years?

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Basically, he visited Belgium on a temporary tourist visa, then tried to get asylum in England but was held up in Paris. I can't really remember the details (its quite spectacular), but in the end his passport got taken from him and lost (so he could not travel anywhere internationally), his temporary visa expired (so he couldn't return to Belgium), and he couldn't leave the international terminal because he wasn't ever authorized to visit France. His original country, Iran, didn't want anything to do with him since he was declaring asylum (so no new passport)

one person = not a big SNAFU, so he sort of was a living hiccup in the system.

the guy also appears to be a little dumb or mentally ill, but nothing you can overtly tell. He may be able to leave now (this development came out after about 9 years), but he's adamant about going to England (which is why he changed his name to Alfred).

It didn't really catch my interest, but I would still be willing to check it out. I just have no idea where the cinema's are in this new area I'm visiting. I guess I'll ask around.

It's a very good movie.
Many scenes make me between tear and laugh.

It's SS's 3rd achievment after Schindler's List & Saving Private Ryan.

The documentary sounds more interesting.

Hanks just bores me. And he got fat recently. What the fuck is up with his neck jiggling all the time.