Don't see this if you like your knuckles!

Rating: 9/10 (22 October 2013)

With 'Captain Phillips', Paul Greengrass does what he clearly does best, bringing to life the events surrounding the hijacking of the Mearsk Alabama in 2009. As with all true stories, the question often asked is how close to reality are the events on screen. When it comes to this film, in terms of specifics, this is going to be a hard question to answer; there is a law suit ongoing and there seem to be some questions surrounding the supposed heroism, or lack thereof, of certain people involved.
It is good, then, that Greengrass has not made a film that feels like it's going for the truth, but rather a balls-to-the-wall thriller which happens to be inspired by true events. Setting up from the outset with an approach that is immediately Greengrass, we see the titular Captian and the Somali pirates preparing for their respective jobs, and the word "jobs" is key here, on both sides. The approach begins a motif, which returns at various points through the following two hours, of a mirroring of circumstances; as the film moves on, we see more and more that both Captain Phillips and Muse, the pirate leader, are victims of a wider issue, neither man much in control of anything. Much has been made of this humanising of the "bad guys", and whilst it is true, it is also fair to say that Greengrass never pushes the point to the extent that we feel forced to sympathise specifically with them. Rather, and more importantly, we are encouraged to consider, along with Phillips, how and why these emaciated men are driven to commit such crime, and how such a sad state of affairs is allowed.
Perhaps it may have been beneficial for the film to have explored the globalisation issues a little more, and it features a soundtrack which, whilst effective, does come across, at times, like a lazy rip-off of Hans Zimmer. That said, if it wasn't for the trademark voice of a director with whom we are now quite familiar thanks to the 'Bourne' sequels, we could be easily forgiven for thinking this is Ron "Apollo 13" Howard at his absolute must-see best. The performances from the pirates (first time actors) seem unabashed by Hanks' presence, and in fact the reality that they never met before filming only creates a more palpable sense of fear and confusion. Indeed, Barkhad Abdi does not seem to be acting, it is more like he has just wandered into the film; he plays Phillips' equal and opposite with an apparently unshaken conviction. As for Tom Hanks? This is his most impressive performance since 'Road to Perdition', a film which itself let us see a side of Mr Hanks we hadn't seen before. From the moment he steps aboard the ship and begins running drills, we are sold; Hanks disappears and the stern Captain Phillips emerges. From here, the performance becomes increasingly compelling; this man can do so much with so little and it seems effortless, which so often results in us forgetting it is a performance. Here, the gradual breakdown of a proud and pragmatic man is perfectly pitched throughout, and the final scene sees the actor do something quite incredible, finding a gut-wrenching truth and hitting notes I don't think I've ever seen him hit so perfectly before. Yes, Hanks reminds us, at a time when perhaps we needed reminding, of why he is one of the greatest actors alive. Let's be honest, we do tend to forget.
Greengrass makes the wise choices to never get melodramatic and to never leave the action, which never really lets up; events just keep escalating. From an early scene of pirates boarding the vessel, to a final act that makes the last half hour of 'Zero Dark Thirty' look fairly amateur, you frequently remind yourself that this must have been a logistical nightmare to shoot; the fact it has come out looking so great and edited so well is testament to a very controlled film maker. On nearly every level, 'Captain Phillips' is most certainly one of the films of the year. It is shot with energy, it is perfectly paced,with a knuckle-chewing level of intensity which rarely wanes. It is hard to recall the last time I was this completely engaged and "with a character"; I WAS that guy in the bathtub at the end of 'The Truman Show'! As well as the full throttle thrills, it offers a tragic human drama that leaves you some food for thought.
It may prove questionable as a documentary of fact, but as a thriller it is one of the best we will see for some time.