It’s a rarity that we just come out and recommend a movie outright without having at least a few negatives to throw into the mix, but in the Captain Phillips DVD you’ve got a pitch perfect thriller from start to end. Based on an intense true story it doesn’t take long to kick into the tension of the modern day pirate attack off the coast of Somalia and keeps things on the edge right the way through, even if you already know the outcome of the situation.
The plot is brilliantly worked by writer Billy Ray, based on the actual events of the real life Captain Richard Phillips, who was at the helm of the container ship, the Mearsk Alabama, when it was attacked and hijacked by pirates in international waters as it passed Somalia on its way to deliver its goods in Mombassa. The movie stars Tom Hanks (Cloud Atlas) in the title role as they first try to stop the pirates from boarding the ship, before being hijacked and taken hostage.
With impeccable direction from Paul Greengrass and edge of your seat cinematography from Barry Ackroyd it’s no wonder that Captain Phillips went on to six Academy Awards nominations, including Best Picture. Literally, the worst thing we can say about the whole film is that there was perhaps one or two split second scenes later on in the movie that didn’t need quite as much shakie-cam, but other than that, the direction of the film and cast, along with the filming in genera is impressive.
Building on a well weighted opening section that sets up parallels between the life of the Captain in the United States and the Somali pirates that go on to hijack the Alabama, the film looks beyond the surface layer tension to create depth to the people behind the story. This concept continues with some inspired dialogue between Tom Hanks and the Somali pirates, especially with Barkhad Abdi, who genuinely deserved the Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination he received for his role as the pirate captain, Abduwali Muse.
The whole cast pull off a series of great performances to bring the intense series of events to life in the film. There aren’t many recognisable faces as such, apart for Hanks himself, and in all fairness it’s a factor that only adds to the authenticity of the movie. The only other exception is Max Martini, playing the U.S. Navy SEAL commander sent to help the crew of the Maersk Alabama, who you might recognise from Saving Private Ryan, alongside Hanks, or Pacific Rim. As with all of the cast members he’s perfectly convincing in his role as the hijack negotiator.
Captain Phillips is a great film to watch on DVD with the comfort of a pillow or two to cringe against when things get all too real. With our recommendation, a lot of critical acclaim, 5 star overall reviews on sites like Amazon and a good helping of award nominations, all signs point this being a much watch film.
