Fantastic performances from Hanks & Abdi and just a brilliant piece of cinema all round

Rating: 8/10 (14 March 2015)

I vaguely recall hearing about this story back in 2009 and remember being quite shocked by the events that had occurred. When I heard that these events were being adapted into a film I was keen to see how it panned out and I was pleasantly surprised by how good this film actually is.
I'll admit that I was initially concerned about watching this film due to the fact that it is about 130 minutes long. I was worried that there would be a long and boring build-up before getting to the 'meat' of the action, but that really isn't the case here as the film gets going very early on - so there's very little opportunity for getting bored. Another thing I liked about it was that it kept me guessing; I'll admit that I was impressed by the battle of wits that ended up ensuing between Captain Phillips' crew and the Somali pirates. It was an intense cat and mouse game and more often than not Phillips' crew would employ a brains over brawn tactic. I must admit that this film was far from predictable and really did keep me on the edge of my seat.
Next we come to the acting performances; I'm sure many people have already commented on Barkhad Abdi's performance as Muse (the leader of the Somali crew) and he truly was brilliant. The academy clearly also acknowledged his performance by Oscar nominating him for best supporting actor (although he didn't win). I'm still finding it hard to believe that this was his debut picture. What a start!! Any actor (regardless of experience) who can hold their own against the great Tom Hanks will always get the utmost respect from me so Barkhad Abdi I take my hat off to you sir! Then we come to Tom Hanks; a man whose reputation proceeds him and he's still continuing to deliver the goods. I think part of what makes this film work is that the actors are so good that I sometimes forget that I'm watching a film and I just found myself immersed in the action - I felt like I was there on the boat with Hanks, I felt his pain and anguish and really cared for his character and all his crew. I really love it when filmmakers can get me this involved with their work and as mentioned this is due to a combination of non-stop intensity and believable and gritty performances from all involved.
As well as all the above, Captain Phillips also benefits from some beautiful cinematography, sharp editing & directing. Even though I praised the film for not having a long and boring build-up, I still felt that it's still perhaps a tad too long at 130 minutes, but that is a very minor criticism. Aside from that, the film was pretty much flawless.
This is an excellent film that lovers of biopics or just general lovers of cinema simply shouldn't miss. Maersk Alabama was the first ship to be hi-jacked in over 200 years and I really hope nothing like this ever happens again. Captain Phillips takes you on an emotional and intense journey that you won't forget about in a hurry.