CAPTAIN PHILLIPS  4.0 ***

 

     This movie’s Director Paul Greengrass has proved his talents with two fantastic Bourne films, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, and two impressive real-life dramas, Bloody Sunday and United 93.. Captain Phillips sees Greengrass deliver another true story to the big screen, proving that he is indeed the current king of cinematic re-enactments.

 

Captain Phillips is the rarest of thrillers, the kind that relies on neither distracting special effects nor distracting character development. Driven by a powerful, soul-baring performance by  Tom Hanks, the movie never lags, never oversells the plight of its characters, never reduces anyone or anything to mere caricature .Hanks is the  Captain of the United States container ship MV Maersk Alabama, cruising along the coast of Somalia with a full load. A skiff load of 4 armed Somalis close in, ready to board the vessel. They're pirates, working for a warlord in their impoverished country, and they smell opportunity. The pirates board the giant ship, clearly pleased with their find. Muse (Barkhad Abdi) quickly proves himself to be a strong  leader; he's single minded (where's the crew? where's the goods?) but not sinister.  

The movie is told in two distinct halves: the time spent by the pirates on the Maersk as they search in vain for treasure and crew, and the time spent in the ship's lifeboat as they make their way to Somalia. The villains are conflicted and desperate. And armed. But they're quickly immersed in what appears to be an impossible situation. This is one of the toughest, most naked performances of Hanks' stellar career. (He is a slam dunk for an Oscar nomination for Best Actor) It's sometimes painful and heart wrenching to watch. He's an Everyman, per usual, but he's not a savior or a hero. He doesn't suddenly develop super strength and overpower the bad guys.  Matching him wit for wit while frantically trying to keep his own wits about him is Abdi as the skinny, intelligent Muse, seemingly a veteran of high piracy.  Abdi is a wonder to watch; unpredictable and cunning but  greedy and rapidly running out of viable options.  

 What also is an intelligent move on Greengrass's part, and just like in United 93, is the use of real people who actually worked those certain jobs (navy seals, medics, etc.) It adds a  reality to the film and adds believability to the roles. Captain Phillips is tense. It is heart wrenching. It is raw and it is powerful. With its well-executed direction and stellar performances, Captain Phillips is a must see for anyone who appreciates quality cinema and great acting.

You should see this one on the a big theater screen if at all possible.

Clark