Fantastic, nail-biting biopic thriller puts you at the edge of your seat

Rating: 9/10 (17 May 2015)

Paul Greengrass, a visionary filmmaker who rose to fame for giving birth the exhilarating Bourne trilogy has returned to the director's chair to tackle a much different story than a gun-totting CIA agent hunting down the bad guys.The picture is a re-imagining of the terrifying event that took place in the Indian Ocean in April 2009. That story was the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama by the hands of Somalian pirates. The victim of this startling event was Captain Richard Phillips who made a courageous, if questionable choice for putting his life on the line for the sake of his crew members. The inspiring event are greatly transpired by Greengrass who reprises his signature use of documentary-style filmmaking and top-notch direction to plunge viewers into the shoes of the titular character stranded in a terrifying situation, one that meant life or death. And Greengrass scores what transcends to a heart-pounding, survival experience without straying into the territory of extravagance. Tom Hanks plays the title character, who leads his crew on a voyage to Kenya, only have to his cargo ship, the MV Maersk Alabama hijacked by Somali pirates who take him and his crew hostage in exchange for money. The pirates are lead by the hard-edged Captain Muse (played by Barkhad Abdi) who along his petty crew then takes Captain Phillips hostage and threatens him in tension-fueled battle of wills with the no one to help him but the U.S Navy who arrive to the rescue.
Paul Greengrass effectively crafts a gritty, nail-biting that's destined to lead viewers gripping at the edge of their seats, and the only aspect sugarcoating the terrifying true event maybe the PG-13 rating (there is one gruesome moment). Regardless of us knowing what the final outcome will be, it is a scary ride to sit through. Greengrass takes on the task of building up the atmosphere through the first twenty minutes while establishing the central character as a smart, humanized man who's unaware of the unspeakable terror that awaits him. From the opening minutes of the arrival of the Somali Pirates, the film quickly steers from a calm slowburner to a heart-pounding, tension-ridden powerhouse as Captain Phillips is unpleasantly pulled into a fateful battle of wills and sacrifice against the sadistic Captain Abduwali Muse. That is where a bold, uncompromising performance by Barkhad Abdi comes in, with his audacious line "Look at me, I'm the captain now". Abdi boasts a spectacular sense of menace in his role that bravely becomes a helping hand of the suspenseful atmosphere. With Phillips captured and incarcerated by the Somali pirates in a small boat for the majority of the second half, Barry Ackroyd successfully captures the claustrahpobia and the heat of the central character's conflict with documentary-style cinematography that's become a staple to Greengrass's filmography. As with Tom Hanks, he does an amazing job with capturing the humility and fear of his real-life inspired role, something many could expect from a two-time Oscar winner.
Captain Phillips is a mesmerizing survival thriller crafted with diligence and substance by visionary director Paul Greengrass who knocks the ball out of the park. This is a tension-fueled ride with blistering suspense and uncompromising performances by Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. To satisfying results, the film pays an inspiring tribute to the terrifying story.