Captain Phillips (2013)

Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Country: USA

Movie Review: Considering Paul Greengrass’s past works (“Bloody Sunday”, “Bourne Supremacy”, “United 93”), I was expecting something vibrant and thrilling, and that was exactly what he provided with “Captain Phillips”. The plot was based on the true story of Richard Phillips, a merchant mariner who, in 2009, was made hostage by four Somali pirates when they hijacked his container ship Maersk Alabama in Indian Ocean. Billy Ray (“The Hunger Games”, “Breach”, “State Of Play”), wrote the screenplay from the book "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy Seals, and Dangerous Days at Sea" by Phillips himself with Stephan Talty. Although comparable in terms of subject matter to the Danish drama “A Hijacking” (already reviewed in this blog), this one focuses less the psychological side and delivers a much more strenuous and invigorating trip on action. Greengrass continues using a handheld camera, which enhances the tension and realism of the action, and shows to be a master in this genre. His films are never boring and the energy concentrated in the scenes doesn’t give space to unnecessary or stagnant moments. Moreover, I truly believe that great part of its success was due to the amazing performances. Tom Hanks gives his best performance in more than a decade (third Oscar in sight?), bringing all the emotions and courage needed to make this believable, while rookie Barkhad Abdi was a good surprise as the sea pirate in charge. Satisfaction guaranteed for action/thriller enthusiasts.