Review of Captain Phillips (2013) by Mrmoviebuff — 17 Mar 2015

Tom Hanks stars in Paul Greengrass' thriller based on a true story called 'Captain Phillips' which tells the story of a man named Captain Richard Phillips whose ship is under attack from Somalian pirates.

This is a well-made, fast paced and intense thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time, and Tom Hanks gives one of the best performances in his career since his last Oscar nominated work in 'Cast Away' (2000) or 'Road to Perdition' (2002).

The real star of the show though is Barkhad Abdi, who plays the lead pirate named Muse, and he did receive the "Best Supporting Actor" nomination at the Oscars. He teases Richard an awful lot and comes across as demanding, if not, sadistic, most of the times. He takes over the ship and treats Captain Phillips as his slave and plans to kidnap him.

The way this film moves is fascinating and it is one of the best biopic thrillers I've ever experienced at the cinema, it's actually my number 1 movie of 2013. Many people would vote 'Gravity' or '12 Years A Slave' and while they are great films in their own right, I choose 'Captain Phillips', I did not know what to expect before watching a movie based on a story I haven't heard of, but I did not expect to feel this tense.