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Captain Phillips, 2013
In this based-on-a-true-story thriller, Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) is the captain of a ship called the Alabama, a cargo vessel whose route takes them around the African cape where a string of hijackings has taken place. Sure enough, the ship is seized by a small group of Somali men, led by Muse (Barkhad Abdi), a smart but unpredictable young man determined to make a better life for himself.
I overall enjoyed this film, even if it seemed like it ran a bit long. Hanks gives an assured lead performance, and his calm, America's dad energy is well balanced by the jittery energy of Abdi's Muse.
I appreciate that the film, while it obviously changed some events for the sake of the film, kept the narrative in a scale and scope that felt real. The pirates didn't kill anyone aboard the Alabama, and the movie doesn't feel the need to exaggerate their actions for the sake of making them seem more evil.
Generally, I thought that the film did a good job of portraying the pirates as criminals but not as one-dimensional characters. They work for a warlord and live in a country where economic hardship makes criminal activity a very tempting path out of poverty. The film doesn't demand a ton of sympathy for them, but the fact that they are humanized to a degree makes the film more compelling.
I did enjoy the nature of the action sequence in the film, specifically the boarding of the ship in the beginning and the rescue attempt in the last act. They have this fast/slow dynamic where there is quick action and changing circumstances, but at the same time a real-life drawn out quality. This is maybe most effective in the boarding sequence, as the attacking boats draw closer and closer and the crew of the Alabama realizes that no one is coming to help them and they must rely on their own evasive maneuvers and limited defensive moves to protect them.
I really appreciated the way that the camera moved around the ship and inside the lifeboat. It both gives you a good sense of the layout and flow of the spaces, as well as creating a claustrophobic energy.
As far as "based on a true . . . " movies go, I thought this one was pretty good. Some liberties taken, yes, but still a compelling story.
Captain Phillips, 2013
In this based-on-a-true-story thriller, Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) is the captain of a ship called the Alabama, a cargo vessel whose route takes them around the African cape where a string of hijackings has taken place. Sure enough, the ship is seized by a small group of Somali men, led by Muse (Barkhad Abdi), a smart but unpredictable young man determined to make a better life for himself.
I overall enjoyed this film, even if it seemed like it ran a bit long. Hanks gives an assured lead performance, and his calm, America's dad energy is well balanced by the jittery energy of Abdi's Muse.
I appreciate that the film, while it obviously changed some events for the sake of the film, kept the narrative in a scale and scope that felt real. The pirates didn't kill anyone aboard the Alabama, and the movie doesn't feel the need to exaggerate their actions for the sake of making them seem more evil.
Generally, I thought that the film did a good job of portraying the pirates as criminals but not as one-dimensional characters. They work for a warlord and live in a country where economic hardship makes criminal activity a very tempting path out of poverty. The film doesn't demand a ton of sympathy for them, but the fact that they are humanized to a degree makes the film more compelling.
I did enjoy the nature of the action sequence in the film, specifically the boarding of the ship in the beginning and the rescue attempt in the last act. They have this fast/slow dynamic where there is quick action and changing circumstances, but at the same time a real-life drawn out quality. This is maybe most effective in the boarding sequence, as the attacking boats draw closer and closer and the crew of the Alabama realizes that no one is coming to help them and they must rely on their own evasive maneuvers and limited defensive moves to protect them.
I really appreciated the way that the camera moved around the ship and inside the lifeboat. It both gives you a good sense of the layout and flow of the spaces, as well as creating a claustrophobic energy.
As far as "based on a true . . . " movies go, I thought this one was pretty good. Some liberties taken, yes, but still a compelling story.