Captain Phillips (2013)
Certified: 12A
Duration: 134 minutes
Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Starring: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali, Michael Chernus, David Warshofsky, Corey Johnson, Chris Mulkey, Yul Vazquez, Max Martini, Omar Berdouni
KRS release

Captain Phillips tackles the problem of modern piracy. It is based on the biographical book by Richard Phillips with Stephen Talty titled A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy Seals and Dangerous Days at Sea.

Tom Hanks is Captain Richard Phillips who is to take the Maersk Alabama on a trip from Oman to Kenya. Shane Murphy (Michael Chernus) is his second in command.

At one point, Phillips receives an e-mail telling him that piracy is on the rise and thus he and his crew of 20 go through the necessary drill to prepare for such an eventuality.

In fact, as soon as they approach the Somali coast, Muse (Barkhas Abdi) and his gang attempt to take over the ship. They fail the first time round but then succeed. Phillips and his crew end up on the ship’s bridge as they try to stave off the pirate attack while waiting for the US Navy to arrive.

The choice of director Paul Greengrass is perfect for this movie, because he has this knack for bringing a documentary feel of realism to his fiction, such as in The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), and he delivered a poignant depiction of true-life stories in Flight 93 (2006). Here he delivers actual events dressed as a thriller and the result is simply captivating.

The film comes with a sense of detail, tension and perspective that is spot on. Through clever camera work, Greengrass places us straight into this battle between characters from different cultures on the high seas.

The director is also lucky to have Hanks as his main actor. This is another tour de force from the celebrated actor whom we see trying to cope with an ever-increasing sense of meltdown. It’s a compliment to the actor to see how his character reacts, defuses, crumbles and gathers emotional strength or loss. His emotional core will ultimately tie the audience to the picture.

The film never seems to opt to take a stand even though Greengrass’s socio-economic and political views have often influenced his films. Instead, we are given a well-rounded thriller which will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end credits roll up. Captain Phillips is a must-see for any filmgoer who likes his thrillers strong and believable.