Captain Phillips (2013)
*contains spoilers
Captain Phillips tells the truth-life story of how Captain Richard Phillips (played by Tom Hanks) overcame all odds against four (4) Somali pirates after they took his hostage. Not content with $30,000.00, the Somali pirates hope to get more than ten (10) times that amount by holding Captain Phillips hostage.
The move starts of well, explaining what Phillips does for a living and the rather obvious worry on his face as he undertakes his next task (bringing a ship full of commercial goods and food aid through the 'Horn of Africa' - ie. Somalia). Early on, it is clear that Phillips is worrisome about the possible appearance of pirates, particularly from Somalia (a country well known for its pirates).
Not of the Carribean: Bilal, Muse, Najee, Elmi (Pirate names)
As Phillips carefully plans his route, he hopes for the best. Meanwhile, on the other side of things, the Somalis get ready for another 'run'. In their quest to get some loot, they stumble upon the Maersk Alamaba and proceeded to commence their 'pirating' activities, instilling fear and all.
As they proceeded to board poor old Alabama, the pirates head straight to the deck as the crew scramble in search for a safe hiding spot. After being offered $30,000.00 by Captain Phillips, the pirates laugh the offer off before going on a hunt in search of the crew.
From here, the movie intensifies and Hanks' brilliant performance only adds to the intensity of each moment. It is really courageous and praise-worthy what Captain Phillips did for his crew, putting his life on the line for the sake of his Ship and Crew.
Irish Piracy: Muse, one of the Pirates, threatens Phillips
On to the review of the movie itself, it is one of 2013's best movies, largely thanks to the performance of well, T.Hanks. The fear, the uncertainty, the will, all felt genuine. The plot, being based on a true story, is extremely straight forward, so don't expect any twists.
Felt draggy at times, but I guess when Pirates take you, an hour can feel like days and days feel like weeks and so on. The threat of pirates (especially Somali) in International waters is a very real thing and viewers need to appreciate this fact. Also, the point made by one of the crew that they weren't paid enough to do what they do with these kind of threats is not without basis. Mega companies hire people like pawns and don't do enough to reward them.
Why? Because Ameri-can.
I can't speak of the accuracy of the Movie with the real-life event because, well, I don't know. Neither can I comment on the effectiveness and efficiency of the US Navy. But from the movie itself, it seemed like it is a hit-or-miss thing when it comes to getting help from them. To stress again on the dragginess of this movie, it felt like forever for the authorities to negotiating with the pirates, which, considering real-life negotiations, is understandable and to a certain extent, appreciated.
But what made this Movie great, was the explosion of emotion by Hanks at the end. Just, wow. It was overwhelming and the suppressing of emotions was evident. A burst of brilliance to end an incredibly intense (at times) movie.
"No games, Irish!"
Summary:
Posi+ives
- Intense movie
- Hanks' performance
- General atmosphere felt genuine
- Good development
Negat-ves
- Felt draggy at times
A Solid 7.5/10
