When handed the directorial reins of a delicate real-life event, Paul Greengrass can be trusted to bring out the human story above all else. Both United 93 and Bloody Sunday cut through personal grudgery and political agenda in order to capture an impartial dramatization of the events in real time. Captain Phillips is no exception.
Based on the memoirs of Richard Phillips, the film recreates the notorious 2009 hijacking of the commercial shipping vessel Maersk Alabama at the hands of four Somali pirates, and the inevitable reaction by the US Navy to rescue the titular captain from peril.
After the opening twenty minutes, the film travels into dangerous waters at full throttle, poised to blow a gasket at anytime. Greengrass achieves nail-biting, heart-racing tension for most of the two hour running time thanks to his docu-realistic approach to film making.
A relatively unknown cast, the close quarters setting and claustrophobic cinematography – all calling cards of a Greengrass film - keep you firmly believing in the danger.
The film’s narrative and depiction of the supposedly heroic captain may have attracted criticism from members of the actual crew, but Tom Hanks’ version of Phillips as both a cautious and humble seafarer will no doubt kick start the obligatory ‘best actor’ chatter on the road to next year’s Academy Awards.
Hanks acts with reliable integrity and in the closing moments, delivers a the veracious emotional performance that we’ve come to expect from the actor when taking on historical roles, with Apollo 13 and Saving Private Ryan being prime examples.
There is a focus on the dynamics between Phillips and Muse, but it’s one that doesn’t resort to drawing clumsy conclusions that the pair share deep similarities. Make no mistake; these men come from two distinctly different worlds.
In fact, Muse’s storyline has just as much weight on the plot as Phillips’ does and whilst the reasoning behind their piracy doesn’t excuse their actions, it certainly gives as us the balanced picture. Even as the film hurtles towards its suspenseful conclusion, neither Somali nor American come across as the heroes or villains of the piece, an encouraging worldly view perhaps shaped by the post-War on Terror era.
“No al-Qaeda here boss, just business,” Muse constantly reassures Phillips throughout the film and even though the film bears the captain’s name, the tale of the impoverished Somali pirates is a much more interesting one.
Even if Greengrass treads neutral waters with his film-making, Captain Phillips certainly shows how the world map has been redrawn thanks to the complexities of globalization.
Reviewed for The Big List NI
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