posted
I saw The Terminal last night. My mom thought it was mediocre and unconvincing; I thought it was superb.
My first argument is that there is actually a man to whom this scenario (being stuck between countries and living in an airport) has happened. He's been living in the Paris airport for something like 15 years. I'm sure his story was somewhat of an inspiration for the film. So I don't call it far-fetched at all.
As a film, I think it's thoughtful and important on several different levels. The characters are intriguing. Catherine Zeta Jones's role is bittersweet and vital, and I disagree with the NPR reviewer who claimed that the film tries to tackle too many unrelated moral issue without cause.
I'd like to hear what other Hatrackers think of it and am curious about how well it goes over. Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
A lot of times, a movie claiming to be "based on a true story" doesn't improve it for me. So many movies "based on a true story" should be called "inspired by something that really happened" because the story is so much different from what actually happened.
Thankfully, I have not seen anybody say that Terminal is "based on a true story", even though it's closer to the truth than many movies that *do* claim it.
IIRC, here's the story of the guy:
He's been living in the Paris airport for the last six years. There was an odd paperwork/political mix-up, like in the film, and he was forced to stay there for an incredible length of time -- over a year.
But it *eventually* got straightened out, and he can go home any time he wants to. But, as I understand it, the guy isn't quite straight in the head, and he prefers living in the airport. He chooses not to leave, and has now been there for 10 years. I doubt this movie will "inspire" him.
I am very much looking forward to this movie.
You say that Catherine Zeta-Jones' character was vital? That's good to hear. From what I saw of the previews it looked like "You know what this story is missing? Romance. *Every* Hollywood needs a romance, even if it's a really bad one. Who is next on our list of hot love interests? Zeta-Jones? She'll do fine. Write her into the script."
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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See the thread here for more info about the real story behind the movie and my reactions after first seeing the movie. Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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There were some bizarre little twists (the whole secondary romance story) and far-fetched stuff, but I really enjoyed them; I think American fiction is far too worried about credibility and has lost some of the beauty that is magical realism. (For those of you who haven't seen the film, they're not that earth-shatteringly weird, they're just a bit whimsical) I really enjoyed the bits that stretched the verisimilitude and had no problem swallowing them.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
I heard they only say it is "very loosely" based on that guy in France's story. In other words -- it isn't really about him -- it is just a similar scenario, and they used some ideas from his predicament when they wrote the script.
But other than that -- it is total fiction.
I haven't seen it yet, but plan to since I'm a solid Tom Hanks fan...
posted
There are very few actors that make me want to see a movie simply because they are in it. Tom Hanks is one of them.
*ponders*
I cannot think of any more. In days of yore, some others were Stanley Tucci, Patrick Warburton, Sandra Bullock, and Jackie Chan. But I've been dissapointed too many times by them. I'm sure there are others, but nothing comes to mind.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
I saw it, liked it. Tom Hanks was great. Catherine Zeta-Jones was OK, but she seemed to be going through the motions. There were a few annoying bits of cheap sentimentality, and when the credits rolled I saw Spielberg's name and I realized, oh yeah, no wonder, it's a Steven Spielberg film.
And really REALLY REALLY annoying: all the @#$%^&* product placement ads. I hate them. But thanks to the movie's being set in an airport, there's tons of them, all the store names being shown over and over and over....
posted
I finally saw this last night, and where it became unbelievable to me was the "sign of the hand" everyman heroism/ stick-it-to-the-man sentimentality. Spielberg could have made this film back after The Color Purple was shut out from Oscar recognition, but he's in now. He is "the man", or big brother if you will. And I also didn't buy two time Oscar winner Tom Hanks as a symbol of all the oppressed masses.
It might have worked if the administrator dude were more corrupt and evil, but it is more the case that he and the Hanks character had an interactional dynamic that produced a singular situation.
I guess my view is only possible in that I doubt the drugs Viktor finds a loophole for would really help anyone, let alone save their life taken without medical supervision. For all we know it could have been thalidomide.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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