When the pirates take Captain Phillips hostage in an enclosed lifeboat from the Alabama, the Navy is called in to try to find a way to rescue him – but through the tense final hour of the film, it is what is happening inside the little boat with only five on board that draws our attention, as the dialogue between the pirates and Phillips provide a glimpse into both sides. These final moments are masterfully handled, closing the memorably tense Captain Phillips on a quietly unforgettable note.īased on the true story of the 2009 hijacking of the American cargo ship Maersk Alabama by armed Somali pirates, Captain Phillips is a tense film starring Tom Hanks in the title role, alongside a very strong cast, including newcomer Barkhad Abdi as pirate captain Muse. This isn’t a thriller that leaves us feeling triumphant, but rather a grippingly multilayered retelling of events that ends with the characters broken and not ready to recover. The final few scenes are powerful for the way that they play as high drama instead of heroics, leaving the audience just as shaken as the characters. Although we don’t agree with their actions, we do feel sympathy for these young men who live in poverty and have nothing, making hard choices that are forced upon them by their warlords. First time actor Barkhad Abdi is also excellent in his challenging and layered role. He remains miraculously calm throughout much of the tension, but as the situation grows increasingly more complicated, we start to see desperation and finally dread on his face, as he comes to terms with the fact that things likely won’t end smoothly. Tom Hanks is at the top of his game in Captain Phillips, delivering a brilliant performance as a man who is prepared to sacrifice himself to ensure the safety of his crew. Regardless of whether or not you remember how things played out in real life just over four years ago, the film is filled with wall to wall suspense, and packs a surprising emotional punch. The screenplay by Billy Ray offers a balanced and multilayered take on the events that were recounted firsthand in the book A Captain’s Duty, bringing these complex and fascinating characters to the screen. The audience is put right in the middle of every terrifying moment, as the danger and threat of violence reaches a boiling point. There is constant tension throughout Captain Phillips, as director Paul Greengrass uses his signature style of handheld camerawork to keep us riveted by the action. When Captain Phillips is taken hostage and held for ransom, the clock starts ticking as tensions rise amongst the men who are all desperate to find a way out, and the navy puts their own rescue mission into play. But their routine voyage takes a dark turn when their ship is taken over by a gang of Somalian pirates, led by the conflicted Muse (Barkhad Abdi), the poor teenager Bilal (Barkhad Abdirahman), the violent Najee (Faysal Ahmed) and Elmi (Mahat M. This is an awards season contender that lives up to the buzz, and ranks among the best movies of the year.Ĭaptain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) is in command of the Alabama Maersk, a cargo ship travelling through the Horn of Africa, carrying clean drinking water and other supplies. There are no easy answers in Captain Phillips, as the film brilliantly and intensely brings to screen all of the desperate decisions that were made during the harrowing events of April 2009, when an American ship was hijacked by Somalian pirates. Rated 14A for violence and disturbing contentīased on the book A Captain’s Duty by Richard PhillipsĬaptain Phillips (Tom Hanks) tries to negotiate with Muse (Barkhad Abdi) in Captain Phillips. Captain Phillips – A Sony Pictures Release
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