Captain Phillips

MPAA/Content PG-13 [AC, AL, SV]

Distributor Columbia Pictures

Technical 16mm 35mm 2.40:1

Genres THR ADV HIS

Runtime 134 mins.

Country USA

Budget $55M

 

CAST

Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali, Michael Chernus, Corey Johnson, Max Martini, Chris Mulkey, Yul Vazquez & David Warshofsky

 

CREDITS 

Director: Paul Greengrass; Screenwriter: Billy Ray; Producers: Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti & Michael De Luca; Director Of Photography: Barry Ackroyd; Production Designer: Paul Kirby; Editor: Christopher Rouse; Costume Designer: Mark Bridges; Music Composer: Henry Jackman

 

THE SYNOPSIS

The Gulf of Aden, Oman, 2009.  Captain Richard Phillips (Hanks) takes command of Merchant Vessel Maersk Alabama, an unarmed cargo/container ship on a routine mission south to Kenya.  A highly competent seaman and martinet, Phillips engages his men in safety and security drills, knowing that pirates roam the waters in this part of the world.

The vessel is indeed attacked by skiffs piloted by young Somali pirates—desperate young men…some of whom serve their greedy warlords; others who must commit these crimes to feed their families.  The pirates are temporarily deterred by the Alabama’s anti-pirate countermeasures; but the determined young Somali Abduwali Muse (Abdi) returns the next day with another skiff and three able (and heavily armed) young men: Najee (Ahmed), Assad (Ali) & Bilal (Abdirahman) and successfully board the ship.

Muse warns Phillips that he is now the captain.  His goal (like that of all pirates) is to hold the ship and crew for a hefty ransom.  The plan goes awry when a crewmember cuts the power off to the entire ship.  After being overpowered, Muse is convinced to take Phillips as a hostage and leave the Alabama on a lifeboat with his men.

During this time, the USS Bainbridge arrives on the scene to delegate, although its master, Commander Frank Castellano (Vazquez) is under strict orders to not engage.  Other US ships arrive with the same orders.  A harrowing game of cat-an-mouse is underway as Phillips attempts to escape from the enclosed lifeboat more than once—testing the patience and limits of Muse, his men and himself.

The terror comes to an end when a sniper team of Navy SEALs arrives and takes out Najee, Assad & Bilal.  Muse, sent to the Bainbridge under the assumption that his tribal warlords will be there to negotiate Phillips’ release, is taken into custody and charged with piracy.  Captain Phillips, now safe on the same ship, finally breaks down in tears of shock and gratitude as he realizes that he is safe…and the ordeal over.

 

THE CRITIQUE

Based on the best-selling book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, andDangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty, the film version CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is an instant masterpiece.  The screenplay, written with verve by veteran scribe Billy Ray (Shattered Glass, Breach, The Hunger Games), plays it straight—and perhaps more importantly…instigates parity in the moral dilemma regarding the pirates’ motives for the actions they are about to commit.

These men are hungry, frustrated, uneducated and trying to navigate the warlord fiefdom ecosystem imposed on them by their fragmented society.  Not that piracy is the answer—and not that every Somali pirate is merely trying to “pay the bills”, but at least this plight is presented to us in Ray’s screenplay before the action commences.  The end result (at least for me) is that someone—anyone—with human empathy can at least understand the motives.

Filmed over 60 days in open water, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is directed with bravado by veteran British director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, United 93, The Bourne Ultimatum, Green Zone)—who once again proves that he is a master of the “shaky camera” action genre.  Rumor has it that Ron Howard was supposed to direct the movie, but switched up with Greengrass—who was to direct the equally-terrific Formula One flick Rush instead.  Sounds like the right call!

One thing is for certain: Greengrass gets a lot of nautical miles out of his cast.  What more can I say about Tom Hanks that hasn’t already been said?  He is our generation’s Jimmy Stewart; a fine actor and a sweet guy.  Playing Richard Phillips with a degree of old sea dog common sense and a martinet sense of duty to his crew and vessel, I would want no one (besides Harrison Ford, of course) being my captain!

Although he was (surprisingly) not nominated for an Oscar^®, Hanks owns the role.  After playing Capt. Richard Phillips and Walt Disney (in Saving Mr. Banks), Hanks should maybe next consider playing Capt. Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger (the heroic pilot of US Airways Flight 1549) or even St. Francis of Assisi.  The actor’s on a roll, so why stop now!

As great as Tom Hanks is in the movie, the real breakout is newbie Somali-American actor Barkhad Abdi, who hails from Minnesota by way of Mogadishu.  This dude nails IT…desperation, cunning, bravado, violence; even a hint of humanity, in the portrait of the real life Abduwali Muse—who is currently alive and well in a US Federal Penitentiary.  The rest of the Somali actors (also newbies from Minnesota) are solid too.  The remaining cast members do what they need to.

Production values of the modestly-budgeted $55 million (boxofficemojo.com) film are top shelf across the board.

Credit CAPTAIN PHILLIPS ‘ handsome widescreen-lensing to veteran British cinematographer Barry Ackroyd (United 93, The Hurt Locker, Green Zone, Contraband)—who does a fantastic job combining different formats to create a realistic mise-en-scène.  Per his interview in American Cinematographer (November 2013), Ackroyd had stated that he and Greengrass decided to shoot the movie on film (hallelujah!) in this fashion: Super 16mm (using the workhorse Aaton XTR Prod) for the Somali and skiffs sequences; Super 35mm (using the Aaton Penelope & ARRICAM cameras Lite, 235 & 435) for the main shoot; and HD digital cameras such as the compact-but-versatile GoPro for the SEAL skydiving sequences.

Besides being able to conform all of the footage into a cohesive film, I admire the taut cutting schema of veteran American editor/Greengrass collaborator Christopher Rouse (Oscar^®-winner for The Bourne Ultimatum; also edited The Bourne Supremacy, United 93, Green Zone).  Taking this yarn and ratcheting up the tension is what great editing is about.

Having been given the Maersk Alabama’s sister ship Maersk Alexandria to utilize in the shoot, production designer Paul Kirby (The Devil’s Double) brings to the mise-en-scène the veritas needed to make it all believable.  Appropriate costuming by veteran American designer Mark Bridges (Oscar^®-winner for The Artist; also clothed Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, The Master) and a strong score by British composer Henry Jackman (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, Kick-Ass 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) round out the talent behind the camera.

The movie was filmed in Malta, Morocco (standing in for Somalia), Massachusetts & Virginia (USA) and England (for certain interiors).  Much of the lifeboat sequences were actually filmed in the famous water tank at Malta, while the denouement rescue mission was filmed in the Atlantic Ocean near Norfolk, VA.  And yes, the US Navy and Maersk offered their full support in the making of CAPTAIN PHILLIPS.

Man, what a flick!  I enjoyed it as much as it terrified me.  Are there some issues with the film?  Sure.  There are historical inaccuracies abundant in the yarn—but in the spirit of dramatic conflict and good freakin’ Cinema, I shall forgive the filmmakers.  To read more about the reel-vs.-real conundrum, check out the History Vs. Hollywood article here.  But highjack yourself and see the movie anyway!

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

Steering this movie in the right direction, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS earns its stripes as a terrific, action-packed thriller.  That it’s based on a verifiable true story gives the movie an august sheen of respectability.  Although we know how the story ends, it does not take away from the thrill of watching it.  Now, that’s filmmaking at its best!

 

 

 

IMDB:                     http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535109/

Wikipedia:             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Phillips_(film)

Official Site:          http://www.captainphillipsmovie.com/site/