Account of a true story told realistically w minimal embellisments

Rating: 7/10 (17 August 2014)

Based on the true story from 2009 of a cargo ship captain being hijacked by pirates.
Based on the true story from 2009 of a cargo ship captain being hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, Captain Phillips is film full of suspense. Tom Hanks plays Captain Phillips as he prepares the best a person can prepare for the inevitability of pirates attempting to take his ship ransom.
Quickly the movie sets the foundation for Captain Phillips background, a captain who is doing a dangerous job, despite his wife's wishes, because there would be a line of men willing. Simultaneously the foundation is set for the pirates, boat loads of Somali men volunteering to hijack a ship, because this is a somber reality of life with no true alternative for livelihood. The crew, Navy, and audience wait as Richard Phillips is put in the perilous position of negotiator and hostage. The pirates are never as brutal as they have to be and the American crew members are never as heroic as they need to be.
Hanks does a more than adequate job as a sympathizer to the pirates, trying to get everyone out of the situation intact and alive. This selfless and heroic character is probably not accurate to the real Captain Phillips persona, but necessary as a counter view to the pirates' story. I found myself identifying with the pirates, hoping they would have some sense, despite knowing the end to the story. This is thanks in part to the main Somali pirate, Muse, played by Barkhad Abdi. I am thankful he has received as many accolades as he has, though not a trained actor, he turns out a multi-layered character under tragic circumstances.
This movie easily could have been a one-sided telling of the brutalities of the pirates, instead you get a multidimensional story that is more about the current effects of globalization than the thrilling encounter.
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