Captain Phillips
Sometimes, a mental list of films that stayed with me comes to mind. But, it’s funny that I did not remember this one till recently, when I attended a class on international law, and the subject of piracy came up, and this film came to mind. It has been a long minute since I saw or heard anyone talk about this film, even though it’s somewhat of a masterpiece, in my opinion. Without delay, let’s delve into this!
Captain Phillips (2013)
To sail a container vessel from the port of Salalah in Oman to Mombasa, Kenya, Captain Richard Phillips is charged to take command of MV Maersk, Alabama. Aware and wary of the influx of pirates on that particular coast of Africa, he and his first officer make their crew practice precautionary security drills. But, along the way, Captain Phillips spots two pirate ships coming towards them. He manages to ward them off initially, but one of the ships returns. Stronger and heavily armed.
Despite witty interventions from the Captain, the pirates, with Abduwali Muse as the pirate head, board and take control of the ship. He refuses the offer of $30,000 from the safe with the understanding that the money gotten from their ransom would be in millions. And so the two-hour long hide and seek begins with Muse and his crew and Captain Phillips and the U.S Government.
Some movies just get to you from the opening scene. It grabs your attention and never lets you go. There was an intentionality put into everything from the lighting to the cinematography and even the writing. The storytelling was unique and delved deep into a path that most filmmakers would steer away from, and it was presented beautifully. Paul Greengrass outdid himself with the directing, which most likely added to why this is so stellar.
And can we talk about the casting? The cast delivered so well. Tom Hanks is already such a big name, but more in the comedy field. I guess this film explored and brought out a part of him we rarely see. Raw and vulnerable. They didn’t make him into some hero that would suddenly manifest unrealistic Superman, conquering skills. He was simply a guy who had a job to deliver and wanted to make sure that job was seen through till the end. That, in itself, made the movie so much better to me.
The acting was beyond superb, and Barkhad Abdi’s acting left me in twists. He nailed his role as the foolhardy Somali pirate leader, and actually made me empathize more with him. There was the desperation and backstory that made me understand that, though his actions were wrong, they were events and circumstances that contributed to it. I don’t know, the guy was a villain through and through. But I nearly started rooting for some reformative change in him along the way.
All in all, the charm in Captain Phillips is the fact that it stays with you. You would randomly think about it, even a few days or weeks after seeing it. That’s what truly makes a good movie, and I’m glad I got to experience it. What are your thoughts? Have you seen the film, Captain Phillips?
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