2009 Event Comes Alive on Big Screen

Rating: 10/10 (3 October 2013)

My husband wanted to see this film more than I. The actual event in 2009, as all pirate/hostage events in the news, angered and frustrated me. Why would I want to see the Somali pirates capture an American cargo ship, threaten its crew, and psychologically damage them for life? AGAIN! But I went, and I'm glad I did. The movie starts slow, wraps you in warm, fuzzy family moments, and sets up the relationship of captain to his crew & Somalis' motivation for pirating vessels. The action, when it starts & it starts quickly, made my heart race. Overall, it made me think about why people do the things they do when they are put in situations that they choose or are chosen for them. I didn't want to feel anything for the pirates, but I felt some sympathy for them. I felt admiration, respect, and pride in the captain and crew of the cargo ship, and our Navy, which ultimately helped rescue them. I felt great sadness for Captain Phillips and for his ordeal. Had I not known the outcome, I don't think my heart could have handled the stress and anxiety throughout the movie. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is an excellent film, with fine actors and a tightly written story. It is based on a real event, and feels more like a documentary than a dramatization.