Perfect Biopic

Rating: 9/10 (4 March 2014)

Captain Phillips continues a long association with biopics for Tom Hanks. He has arguably the best performance of his career as the titular character, a cargo ship captain. Hanks never once loses poise in his role, always remaining calm and collected. His heroics are impeccable, and he truly propels the film forward. No one else could have done this well in this role. The rest of the cast also performs well, with Barkhad Abdi delivering a stunning debut as Muse, the pirates' ringleader.
Paul Greengrass does not get in the way of these wonderful performances with his direction. Instead of opting for grandiose editing, he focuses on making Captain Phillips realistic and down-to-earth above all else. His great cinematography makes the film feel like a documentary due to its slight shakiness and occasional sharp cuts. There are also many close angles used to allow the actors' subtle features to be seen. Overall, Captain Phillips is a stirring biopic that will be a treasure to almost every moviegoer because of its incredible acting and non- distracting direction.