CAPTAIN PHILLIPS ("PIRATES OF THE SOMALIAN")

October 18, 2013. 

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!!

IMDB Rating

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.