When this story was all over the news back in 2009, a cargo ship captain being kidnapped by Somali pirates off the Horn of Africa, I said to myself that it was just a matter of time before it becomes a movie. I had no idea that Tom Hanks would be playing Captain Richard Phillips or that the film would be directed by the accomplished Paul Greengrass, I just knew there would be a film. I also had no idea how damn good the movie would be. Those of us who know movies, even those of us who don't; we all know how good two time Oscar award winner Tom Hanks is. His resume screams for itself. What I was really curious about was how compelling this story would be and would it make for a boring movie. With a screenplay written by the talented Billy Ray that was based on the book "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea" co-authored by Richard Phillips and Stephan Talty, there was no chance of this movie being boring on any level.
Starring along Tom Hanks was Catherine Keener as his wife Andrea Phillips, Michael Chernus who plays Shane Murphy, Phillips second in command on the Alabama, and Max Martini who plays the Navy SEAL commander. This movie boasted a very talented cast, the surprise though comes from the first time actors who played the Somali pirates. Barkhad Abdi played Muse, the leader of the pirates and his team consisted of Barkhad Abdirahman as the hot headed Bilal, Mahat M. Ali as the level headed Elmi, and Faysal Ahmed as Najee, the youngest of the four. For this movie to be the first acting job for these four men, the job they did was absolutely amazing because you would have believed these men to be seasoned thespians. Not only did they hold their own with a two time Oscar winner, they stole the film from him, especially Barkhad Abdi as the lead pirate. He had the ability to frighten you one minute and charm you the next.
I am not a big fan of Paul Greengrass movies because he is a director that wants to put you right in the middle of the action. The last two Bourne films were directed by him and I thought the camera work was too immersive. He put you right in the middle of the fights and the car chases, and while this may have appealed to some, I was praying for a long shot every now and then. That style of film making worked perfectly on Captain Phillips though. Paul puts the camera on the aisle of that lifeboat and puts us the viewer right in the middle of all that tension. Shot by cinematographer Barry Ackroyd, Captain Phillips had it's claustrophobia inducing moments, but it also had amazing shots of SEALS jumping out of planes, the lifeboat being surrounded by the Navy, and Phillips and his crew trying to keep the Somali's from boarding. Scored by the talented Henry Jackman, his music added to the tension of the movie perfectly. It was the perfect musical companion to the images on the screen. Captain Phillips is a very good film, I would have liked to see something regarding the motivations of the Somali's but the film is called Captain Phillips, not Why Somali's, Why? See Captain Phillips if you're looking for an entertaining film that will have you on the edge of your seat, and I'll see you at the theater.
Ummmm...there was a score for the movie?!? lol Music never registered once on my radar. lol I was too immersed in the film.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that I would have really liked to have seen more background on the Somalis. On a 10,000 foot level most hopefully could recognize the captain was stuck in the middle of an overarching struggle between American have's vs have not's just trying to survive their world and willing to kill or die for a chance at more. I suppose my desire stems from my lack of faith in the average American viewer. However, your point that it was titled Captain Philips...too true and makes perfect sense. But still... lol ;-)