Review of Captain Phillips (2013) by Cameron J — 26 Jan 2015

Oscar season is in full swing with the nominations announced and everyone making their guesses as to which films deserve awards, which films were snubbed, and which films were nominated for solely political reasons. One of the films on everyone's watch-list is Paul Greengrass (two of the Bourne films)'s "Captain Phillips", a true-to-life thriller starring Tom Hanks as the eponymous captain whose boat, the Alabama, is taken over by Somali pirates, lead by Muse (Barkhad Abdi).

The film starts with Phillips packing for the trip ahead of him, talking to his wife about his life and kids, and travelling to the airport; he doesn't expect the mission to be anything too dangerous, considering they'll be unarmed and carrying only cargo. Once he's on the ship and with his crew, he assumes a no-nonsense control of the boat, reasonable but not unaware of safety regulations. Once he receives an e-mail (on a computer that seemed to have been made at least 10 years before this 2009 event) warning him that Somali pirates have been building activity all around the coast, he quickly instills a tightened schedule rife with drills and safety reminders. However, when he sights actual pirates coming up behind the ship, what follows is not a drill.

Perhaps the most intense scenes of the film happen when the pirates are encroaching on the ship, and no one is sure if they will succeed in entering the ship or not. Greengrass use "steady cam" better than I have ever seen it before, using it to create both thrilling pacing and high levels of tension. The scope of the film is also great; everything looks big and important and the cinematography gives the film light and color, allowing the film to go from blockbuster action to claustrophobic tension in seconds. Once the pirates do mount the Alabama, there are moments of suspense from the shipmates and especially Phillips as they wonder what they hell they are going to do to counter far better-equipped warriors than them. To be honest, their strategies are pretty ingenious, but I won't spoil them. All I'll say is that some of the scenes are so conventionally (but entertainingly) stealthy that they seem like they used "Metal Gear Solid" or "Uncharted" as their inspiration.

The most notable aspect of Captain Phillips, as every critic will correctly tell you, is the acting. Not only is Tom Hanks better here than perhaps he has ever been before, but the supporting cast is all on top form as well. Abdi has deservedly earned an Oscar nomination (let's not forget, either, that this is his first film) for playing the head pirate, Abduwali Muse, and playing him exceptionally well. The tension within the group of pirates is perhaps the greatest, with Muse trying to lead strongly but countered by an unpredictable sidekick who just wants to kill Americans. There is also a very young pirate who is nowhere near ready to work on "the field", and a fourth who is really just there because he was there in real life. The rapport between the pirates has most likely been buffed for the big screen, but it creates one of the most important and enjoyable parts of the movie. Hanks' negotiation with the pirates is at times shocking, entertaining, saddening, and highly political. "No games" says Muse. And he means it.

"Captain Phillips" is an imperfect movie. The third act is a bit slow and though is acting is consistently amazing, we can't really connect with the pirates without seeing much of where they come from (there is a bit at the beginning, but it doesn't seem to serve too much purpose). Still, "Phillips" is one of the best thrillers of recent memory, and a truly deserving Oscar movie.