“Captain Phillips” tells the true story of how Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks, “Da Vinci
Code”), a merchant mariner, was boarded and held hostage by a group Somali pirates who
hijacked his vessel.
The story begins subtly with a plain title sequence and a montage of Phillips getting ready to fly
to Africa to attend to his duties on the ship. The audience then moves on to a conversation with
his wife, in which they orate how hard it is that he is constantly on the move.
After the intensity subtly picks up with deliberation of how to handle the situation, the U.S. Navy
doesn’t pick up the phone (apparently they were all getting coffee) and Philips is forced to call
the British military. Stockily enough they don’t help very much.
The stage becomes set for a rivalry relationship when Phillips exchanges glances with pirate
leader Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, portrayed by first-time actor Barkhad Abdi. The first time the
pirates attempt to raid the ship, they manage to shake them. Muse is more persistent the
second time. We are then thrown head first into a Die Hard-like scenario and the all too real
action takes full steam. It’s not that the movie is violent, the film’s grit comes from its realism.
Most of the supporting characters never get their moment in the spotlight except for the four
Somali pirates. The film avoids making cookie-cutter stereotypes by giving them compelling
back stories that make them each very distinct from one another.
While all are played well, none stands out like Abdi’s performance as Muse. Abdi is incredibly
fascinating because everything about him seems to be counteracted by something else. He is
the smallest and weakest-looking, yet the most intimidating. He behaves like a child playing a
game, but remains the most committed and commands the most authority.
Director Paul Greengrass (“United 93”) presents some of his smartest direction in this film. He
seems to be a bit too familiar with action movies from his work on the Bourne franchise, as there
are unnecessary shaky shots. He is known for his use of handhelds and he uses it effectively in
this practically done thriller.
There are also some things that can be explored deeper with Philips, mainly concerning his
family. This is also a minor fault though, as we get to know a lot about Phillips the man during
his struggle for survival. Overall, “Captain Phillips” offers a competent and refreshingly real life
thriller.
