by Abhishek Panikkar
Tom Hanks stars as Captain Richard Philips, an average American merchant mariner captaining an American cargo ship The MV Maersk Alabama which is hijacked along the Horn of Africa by Somali pirates lead by Barkhad Abdi in his debut role staring as Muse. The film is based on a true story directed by Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, Ultimatum and Bloody Sunday) and screenplay written by Billy Ray adapted from the book "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea" written by Richard Philips himself.
I happened to watch the film only by chance as I went to the movies intending to watch Alfonso Cuarón’s “Gravity” which is a huge commercial success and as a result was sold out. I hadn't heard much about Captain Philips apart from the fact that Tom Hanks was playing the lead and I walked out of the theater pleasantly surprised.
The film starts slowly, telling the tale of Richard “Rich” Philips an average typical family man with a not so average job which takes him around the world and in this case through dangerous waters. He is by no means a hero in the typical sense, just a cautious yet sensible captain who genuinely cares for the safety of his crew. We are also given a brief glimpse into the lives of Somali pirates living in a country devoid of a central government and largely controlled by war lords that demand ransoms to be collected in exchange for basic survival. Muse is a courageous, skinny pirate who is given responsibility over a small boat or skiff and a crew of 3 of his choosing. The khat chewing pirates carrying automatic weapons manage to breach the cargo ship’s defensive water guns and a tense encounter with the crew ensues. Without giving much away, Philips is later taken hostage aboard one of the ship’s lifeboats with his life left hanging in the balance.
Barkhad Abdi does a sensational job of playing Muse, an intelligent pirate with a violent past but with a sensitive side and provides us with a few lines of humour to break the tension. Hanks yet again pulls off an emotional performance especially towards the second half of the film. It wouldn’t surprise me if he receives another deserved Oscar nomination.
The tense relationship between Philips and Muse is beautifully portrayed with a mutual respect between the pair bringing out empathetic feelings for the pirate. Greengrass manages to keep the film flowing in a realistic way with some great editing and decent cinematography that compliments the film’s tense and thrilling atmosphere.
The film has an above average runtime of a little over two hours and it might seem a little dragging towards the middle for the typical movie goer but it picks itself up and has a dramatic conclusion that is both awesome and emotional.
If I were to describe the film in one word it would be “Realism”. Today’s box office is filled with sci-fi and generic superhero flicks along with the typical trash that Hollywood churns out every week. If you’re looking for a story with some depth, great acting and tense emotional moments, it’s definitely worth checking out Captain Philips. I rate the film a solid 7/10.
One of the most memorable lines in the film is when Philips asks Muse "Surely there's something other than fishing and kidnapping people you could do?"
To which Muse replies, somberly, "In America, maybe.”
The film starts slowly, telling the tale of Richard “Rich” Philips an average typical family man with a not so average job which takes him around the world and in this case through dangerous waters. He is by no means a hero in the typical sense, just a cautious yet sensible captain who genuinely cares for the safety of his crew. We are also given a brief glimpse into the lives of Somali pirates living in a country devoid of a central government and largely controlled by war lords that demand ransoms to be collected in exchange for basic survival. Muse is a courageous, skinny pirate who is given responsibility over a small boat or skiff and a crew of 3 of his choosing. The khat chewing pirates carrying automatic weapons manage to breach the cargo ship’s defensive water guns and a tense encounter with the crew ensues. Without giving much away, Philips is later taken hostage aboard one of the ship’s lifeboats with his life left hanging in the balance.
Barkhad Abdi does a sensational job of playing Muse, an intelligent pirate with a violent past but with a sensitive side and provides us with a few lines of humour to break the tension. Hanks yet again pulls off an emotional performance especially towards the second half of the film. It wouldn’t surprise me if he receives another deserved Oscar nomination.
The tense relationship between Philips and Muse is beautifully portrayed with a mutual respect between the pair bringing out empathetic feelings for the pirate. Greengrass manages to keep the film flowing in a realistic way with some great editing and decent cinematography that compliments the film’s tense and thrilling atmosphere.
The film has an above average runtime of a little over two hours and it might seem a little dragging towards the middle for the typical movie goer but it picks itself up and has a dramatic conclusion that is both awesome and emotional.
If I were to describe the film in one word it would be “Realism”. Today’s box office is filled with sci-fi and generic superhero flicks along with the typical trash that Hollywood churns out every week. If you’re looking for a story with some depth, great acting and tense emotional moments, it’s definitely worth checking out Captain Philips. I rate the film a solid 7/10.
One of the most memorable lines in the film is when Philips asks Muse "Surely there's something other than fishing and kidnapping people you could do?"
To which Muse replies, somberly, "In America, maybe.”