October 18, 2013.
Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener.
Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener.
Director: Paul Greengrass.
When a film comes from a
director who has the history of walking out of a prestigious project in the
past for the sole reason of his creativity being compromised you can rest
assured of the content on offer.
Paul Greengrass has chosen
to make Captain Phillips based on a real life incident of 2009 when the Captain
of a Maersk Alabama ship was captured by Somalian pirates. Tom Hanks plays the
Captain.
It’s a no nonsense script
that takes you right into the crux of the story a few minutes on. It gives you the
background from which the pirates come and the reason why they are forced to do
what they do regardless of what is right or wrong.
The taking of the ship by
the pirates has been shown in as realistic a way as possible without
compromising the flavour of mainstream cinema (as always is the case with a
Greengrass product). The first half deals with what goes on on-board Maersk
Alabama with the pirates and the crew playing a cat and mouse game of sorts.
As the situation progresses
the crew takes the Captain hostage on a life boat and sets course for Somalia
after which they plan to get millions as ransom money in return for the Captain’s
life. From the moment they get onto the life boat the level of thrill keeps increasing
bit by bit reaching it’s peak at the climax. Once the navy comes into the
picture you will be at the edge of your seat.
The film shows us both the
vulnerability of the ships sailing through the Somalian coast as well as the
extent to which the US armed forces will go to rescue one of it’s civilians.
The regular hand held shots
taking you to the centre of the action (like you have seen in the likes of
Bourne Ultimatum amongst other Greengrass films) are there to up the ante along
with brisk editing.
The virtually unknown
actors who play the pirates dazzle with their performance showing the
vulnerability, helplessness, terror and desperation with the confidence that
equals a really trained actor. But it is Tom Hanks who steals the show as
Captain Phillips. He keeps it simple and subtle throughout the film and shows
us why he is one of the legends in the final moments of the film where he makes
the audience really feel the pain and all the other emotions that Captain
Phillips had kept at bay till then.
I
am giving a 3.75 for Captain Phillips. Get hooked!!
Rating Scale (Out
of 5)
Less than 2
-
Unwatchable.
2 to 2.25
-
Below average.
2.5 to 2.75
-
Average.
3 to
3.25
-
Good.
3.5 to
3.75 -
Really Good.
4 to
4.25
-
Great.
4.5 and
above
- Extraordinary.
