Title: “Captain Phillips”
Director: Paul Greengrass
Writers: Billy Ray
Starring: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
In 2009, the Maersk Alabama, a large cargo ship, was hijacked by Somali pirates while traveling around the Horn of Africa. After getting some money off the ship, they took Captain Richard Phillips hostage aboard the Alabama’s lifeboat, which led to a lengthy stand off with the U.S. military, eventually resulting in his rescue.
Based on the book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, “Captain Phillips” is an intense thriller based on the true story of this hijacking. It manages to be suspenseful even though we know the ending already, which seems to be a problem with some films lately.
The acting is done well. Tom Hanks turns in his usually good performance, although his accent, while possibly accurate as I’ve never actually heard the real Richard Phillips speak, gets annoying after a while. The real breakout star of this film is Barkhad Abdi, who plays Abduwali Muse, the leader of the pirates. Wow, where has this guy been hiding? He manages to be authorative, friendly, and creepy all at the same time, as though we think we can tell what he’s thinking but we’re not quite sure. While this might be a bad thing for an actor in other roles, it was spot on here. We’re scared of him because he seems unpredictable, and he makes a great villain. Abdi is destined to become a star if he stays in this industry.
The movie is tightly cut. Having read part of the book, I can tell you that a lot is cut from it for this movie, but a lot needed to be cut. We’re not bogged down with tiny details of ship operations or Phillips’ background, but we don’t need to be. We see what we need to see for the sake of this story and this movie.
If I have any further complaints, it’s that the pace can be uneven. While the film is tightly edited, the film’s pace can alternate between intensity and boring lulls. I don’t expect there to be intense action all the time and I understand the need to give the audience a breather now and then, but sometimes the difference seems too far apart. Fortunately, this isn’t that prevalent a problem and only happens in a couple of instances. The film also starts out kind slow, but if you stick with it, you’ll get your thrill ride.
I understand that there’s been some controversy regarding the accuracy of this film. I’m not going to try to pass judgment on its accuracy, and I’m only trying to examine the merits of this film on its own. Most films based on true events are dramatized fairly heavily, but I will also say that the accusations came out of the New York Post, so…yeah…we might want to take that with a big grain of salt.
“Captain Phillips” is an intense thrill ride that will satisfy with a tight story. If nothing else, it has brought the talent of Barkhad Abdi to public attention, and I look forward to seeing his work in the future.
“Captain Phillips” earns 4 out of 5 stars.
SheldonNylander.com 