As thrilling as his Bourne movies but more significant and poignant in its portrayal of everyday heroism, Paul Greengrass delivers one of the most compelling films of the year

Rating: 9/10 (13 November 2013)

Even before he checked into the second and third instalment of 'The Bourne Trilogy', British filmmaker Paul Greengrass had already proved himself the master of cinema verite with his dramatization of the events of September 11 on board the ill-fated 'United 93'. And in 'Captain Philips', based on the remarkable true story of four Somali pirates who hijacked the American freighter Maersk Alabama and held its captain on board a lifeboat for five days, Greengrass repeats that same feat by taking a story for which the outcome is already known and turning it into a gripping, harrowing, and deeply emotional thriller.
In adapting the ship's captain Rich Philips' own memoir of his ordeal, Greengrass and his screenwriter Billy Ray respectfully retain their titular character's perspective of the situation; but beyond that - and also what makes it even more compelling - is how their movie goes beyond his amazing display of everyday heroism to explore the poverty, desperation and cynicism that drove four Somali fishermen to become high sea pirates.
And so the opening offers not just one but two perspectives - the first sees the middle-aged Philips packing in his Vermont home and driving to the airport with his wife (Catherine Keener); and the second, set on the beach in the pirate city of Eyl, Somalia, has leader Muse (Barkhad Abdi) recruiting his crew for their next mission which would be Philips' cargo ship. Greengrass demonstrates his commitment to tell both sides of the story throughout the entire movie, refusing at any one point to demonise Philips' captors; instead, he depicts them as ordinary men driven by political and economic circumstances to end up at odds with Philips.
There has always been a kineticism to Greengrass' storytelling, and this is no different. With assured economy, Greengrass brings his audience right into the heart of the crisis, as Philips is quickly confronted with the threat of two rapidly approaching skiffs bearing hostiles. What follows unfolds with immediacy and urgency, with Philips forced to adopt evasive manoeuvres in order to thwart Muse and his crew's attempts to board his ship but eventually being forced to do what is necessary to preserve as many of his crew's lives as possible. It's hardly any secret that Philips will end up on a suffocating lifeboat as their hostage, but you have to hand it to Greengrass for staging the action with such fluency and white-knuckle thrill that you'll still be caught by surprise by that turn of events.
Collaborating once again with cinematographer Barry Ackroyd, Greengrass hews to a familiar visual style that combines hand-held photography, quick edits and a propulsive soundtrack. Unlike lesser filmmakers which botch the use of shaky-cam, Greengrass' previous experience in shooting documentary features has honed his ability to shoot long unbroken sequences on handhelds, and that trademark style here works wonders in capturing the verisimilitude of the characters' predicaments. From the open sea to the interior of the cargo ship and finally to the claustrophobic confines of the lifeboat, Greengrass' shooting technique pulls you deeper and closer to Philips' life-and-death circumstance.
But this is as much a Greengrass movie as it is one of Tom Hanks. The Academy Award winner of such classics like 'Forrest Gump' and 'Apollo 13' has seen his career languishing in recent years, but as the seaman thrust into an impossible situation, Hanks registers one of his career- best performances. Putting his Everyman persona to excellent use, Hanks invites you to identify with and believe in his extraordinary struggle of courage and mettle. It's a masterful performance, one full of nuances that evolves ever so subtly as his character is forced to react with the changing circumstances and hits a peak when finally he is called upon to re-enact the captain's succumbing to post-traumatic stress. Hanks is on excellent form here, portraying Philips' fear, bravery, and anxiety in a perfectly calibrated minimalist act.
Much has also been said of Mogadishu émigré Barkhad Abdi's spellbinding debut, and it is indeed extraordinary. Despite possessing zero acting experience, Abdi proves a perfect foil for Hanks, especially as Greengrass turns his focus in the latter half of the movie on the edgy relationship between Philips and Muse. Ray's sharply written screenplay slowly but surely allows both characters - and us - to realise that they are mere pawns in a larger geopolitical context not within their control, and while Abdi is never less than forceful in his display of skinny bravado, Hanks complements that with his earnestness and empathy - a scene towards the end where he sits in despair recognising the inevitable fate awaiting his captors after failing to convince them to surrender is simply humbling to watch.
Yes, there's no doubt Philips is a heroic figure, and Greengrass diminishes none of his amazing courage even as he adds to that portrayal the humanity of Philips' captors. It is a richly textured story, told as a blow-by-blow procedural of how Philips ended up in that calamity, how he managed to save his entire crew under extreme duress and how eventually after five days he emerged against all odds with his life intact. That Greengrass can direct a taut and captivating thriller is something we already know from the 'Bourne' films, but 'Philips' easily qualifies as one of his best, because it possesses an emotional intensity that goes to the heart of the human spirit, a pure and elemental struggle against adversity for survival. Together, Greengrass and his excellent leading man Hanks make you feel up close and personally engaged through and through with Philips through his ordeal, and it is an experience you won't quite soon forget.