Captain Phillips:
Your jaw will drop, your heart will pound, your knuckles will whiten, and Mr. Hanks will be holding onto a gold statuette from the Academy early next year. When you walk out of the theater in awe of the spectacle of Captain Phillips you will have experienced every one of these feelings plus much more. This is the film experience of the year while recounting the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and his crew while Somalian pirates board his Maersk cargo ship in March 2009. The action and suspense is nonstop and the cast fires on all cylinders without missing a beat taking the audience into the ship and holding on through this disaster at sea.
Every news channel reported this story first hand 4 years ago as it happened off the coast of Africa and everyone became familiar with Captain Richard Phillips and now we get to relive it. Based on Richard Phillips' book, "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea," director Paul Greengrass (Bourne Ultimatum) nails it and stays onboard with the horror that is every sailor's nightmare. The plot has become mostly known now that the hype for this film has been built up; Somalian pirates board a cargo ship off the coast of Africa and want to conduct "business" which translates to antagonizing the captain and all the crew members. The pirates themselves are not fooling around and use their intimidating, skeletal manner to their favor while also keeping the attention on Captain Phillips (Hanks), or "Irish" as they come to know him. Don't get up to go to the bathroom because, from the time the first encounter occurs, it is full steam ahead with some high quality talent that really hits home no matter who you are.
Being pretty much the only A-lister in this film, Tom Hanks easily steals the show as the title character and then takes the whole movie under his wing. His presence onscreen is commanding and gripping. You are literally in the bridge with Phillips and his crew as they go through an ordeal they wouldn't wish upon their worst enemies. I am not stepping too far in saying that this is Hanks' best job in front of a camera since Cast Away when he found himself in a similar situation. The leader of the pirates is named Muse (that's MOO-Say), played by Barkhad Abdi, and he is the human skeleton that you see in the commercials demoting Phillips from captain to hostage. His mannerisms and dialogue are as serious as a heart attack and nothing short of villainous acting. His other henchmen are just as good and you will find yourself making the same facial expressions as the crew members while they make their way closer...and closer.
There are really not enough good things one can say about a movie of this caliber. Just make sure you're buckled in all the way until the credits begin to roll. Paul Greengrass and writer Billy Ray will being seeing their names in the Oscar nominee list for the graceful tragedy that they executed on the big screen. The distressed nature of the ship's crew and all those who are sent to help in Captain Phillips is what makes you keep wanting more and here's an obvious spoiler: you'll keep getting more. Grade: 9.3/10
There are really not enough good things one can say about a movie of this caliber. Just make sure you're buckled in all the way until the credits begin to roll. Paul Greengrass and writer Billy Ray will being seeing their names in the Oscar nominee list for the graceful tragedy that they executed on the big screen. The distressed nature of the ship's crew and all those who are sent to help in Captain Phillips is what makes you keep wanting more and here's an obvious spoiler: you'll keep getting more. Grade: 9.3/10
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