My favourite actor, at his best.

Rating: 8/10 (16 February 2015)

There are two standout performances in this.. Barkhad Abdi as the pirate leader and obviously Tom Hanks himself. Abdi was phenomenal given that this was his film debut, he showed why he was cast as this role in the worldwide search for it.
There are so many moments throughout the film which I loved involving the two actors.
I thought a nice touch my Greengrass was the way it ended with the nurse telling Captain Phillips that "everything was going to be OK".. because this repeated the words spoken by the pirate leader to Captain Phillips throughout his capture. It made me smile.
The scene that proves to me why exactly in my head I deem Tom Hanks as the best actor, is actually that last scene. I have actually read too that the scene wasn't actually in the script, that it was improvised! For those unfamiliar with the scene or who have forgotten it, it is the scene where Captain Phillips has been brought aboard the US Navy ship at the end after being rescued, and is brought in to get checked out by the nurse on board. Personally I feel that it is astonishingly brilliant performing.. especially given that it is improvised and was just added in last minute. In those minutes of watching Hanks speak with the nurse, you see how what he has just endured throughout his capture has effected him enormously... as he struggles to comes to terms with being free and answering simple questions. It's so powerful to watch and I'm not ashamed to say my eyes welled up watching this film both times at that part!