Captain Phillips Movie Review

Movies based on real life stories have intrigued many an audience over the years; they bring strong realism and often provide a different perspective to an already well known event. Director Paul Greengrass is no stranger to this style of filmmaking and he returns to direct another solid and wholly believable account of one sailor’s struggle for survival.

Captain Phillips is a biopic about the titular captain’s deadly ordeal after his ship is invaded by Somalia pirates led by a younger man named Muse who seeks to prove himself to his fellow companions. The film wastes no time in reaching its main plotline; after short and snappy introductions to the opposing forces involved in the incident the audience is catapulted straight into the action and from there things grow more tense by the minute as the captain is put in greater danger and the military intervenes. Tensions of both the pirate and militaristic kind reach a fever pitch in the final act as the two sides desperately attempt to negotiate with Phillips caught in the middle of it all. Intensity is in no short supply throughout ‘’Captain Phillips’’ which keeps the audience utterly invested throughout the film.

With a title like ‘’Captain Phillips’’ it’s imperative that the movie focuses on its main role and it does not disappoint; Tom Hanks delivers yet another multi-faceted, highly emotional performance that truly puts the audience into the character’s perspective. On the one hand Phillips displays great bravery and calmness for his crew in the face of dangerous assailants but later begins to question his fate; when he breaks down at the thought of dying at the hands of the ruthless pirates you feel the immense fear that grips the Captain through his struggle. The other members of the cast are much lesser in scope but are suited to the minor roles they play; despite not sharing much screen time the rest of the twenty man crew aboard the Alabama show a strong camaraderie and are just as capable in their archetypes as sailors who are thrust into an impossible situation. The military forces involved in the action are also well acted, re-enacting a hostage situation just it had in real life several years ago whereas the pirates are also simple yet they have characteristics that set them apart. Muse is the uncompromising leader, Bilal is strong and more aggressive, and Najee is the youngest of the group who may still have part of a conscience despite participating in piracy. Authenticity is the jewel in the casting of ‘’Captain Phillips’’, a focus that is maintained through all other aspects of the film.

The technical effects used in Captain Phillips are highly practical, building up more realism to an already authentic film, several wide view shots work brilliantly at highlighting the scale of the both the huge Alabama liner and the smaller skiffs used by the pirates. A minimal use of computer generated effects for shots of the liner’s propellers never overstay their welcome and for this film Greengrass seems to have let go of the shaky and somewhat nauseating camera angles that plagued the Bourne movies which goes a long way to make sure the action is fully in view at all times. The music is perfectly suited to the action, rising and falling seamlessly to fit the breakneck pacing of the film. Overall the technical presentation of ‘’Captain Phillips’’ makes just as big an impression as the acting on display.

Captain Phillips can stand tall among the best films of the year; it’s incredibly authentic, nail-bitingly tense and with a stellar performance from Tom Hanks, it puts itself over the top to be another excellent effort from Greengrass.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars