Movie review: Captain Phillips

Stars: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Barkhad Abdi, Omar Berdouni

First, a confession: I probably only watched about 60% of this movie.

Not because I was late, but  because I had to keep looking away from the screen to counter the effects herky-jerky video has on me. You see, I’m one of those who gets affected by first-person shooters and Blaire witch type movies.

It just messes with my head and makes me sick to my stomach.

So, if you’re like me, then Captain Phillips might not be the movie for you. Which is a pity because Tom Hanks makes a good Captain Phillips, and the story is one that really grips you.

Director Paul Greengrass lets you in to a bit of the story from the other side – showing how the pirates are spurred into action, and how for them, it’s simply a way of life.

Here’s the story in brief in case you’re not familiar with the case:

Richard Phillips (Hanks) is a shipping captain who takes command of the MV Maersk Alabama in Oman, with orders to sail through the Gulf of Aden to Mombasa – an area notorious for pirate activity.

Upon getting warnings of pirate activity off the coast of Somalia Phillips orders the crew to take security precautions and run their training drills. Midway through one exercise though, two pirate skiffs approach, and only the quick thinking of Phillips buys the ship enough time to outrun the pirates.

A short-lived reprieve unfortunately, as the pirates return the very next day, and this time they force their way on board …

Overall, you feel like someone really put you on the Maersk Alabama, and Barkhad Abdi is excellent as the film’s main antagonist.  It’s this look of mad desperation that makes his performance more than a little convincing. 

You can view the trailer here.