Would be unbelievable - if it weren't true

Rating: 7/10 (30 March 2014)

"Captain Phillips" is the true story if the hijacking of the MV Maersk Alabama cargo ship in 2009 by Somali pirates and is based on the the book "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea" written by Captain Phillips himself. It tells the story of the hijacking of the 17000 ton container ship with a crew of 20 by just 4 Somali pirates in a skiff and the subsequent dramatic rescue of the kidnapped Captain by the US Navy. It was the first hijacking of an American ship for over 200 years. If it were not all true it would be hard to believe and could look like a typical American film with an unlikely plot where the US military come to the rescue and all ends happily. However, the fact that this is a true story and the excellent directing by British director Paul GreenGrass (of Bourne Ultimatum and United 93 fame) make this a film that is definitely worth watching. Add to this some excellent acting by Tom Hanks as Captain Richard Phillips and newcomer Barkhad Abdi as "Muse" the leader of the Somali pirates.
I was amazed that 4 poorly equipped pirates in a small boat could so easily board and take such a large ship. The ship was equipped only with water hoses to fend off the pirates and also used flares. I was amazed that given the known threat that the crew were not armed as with suitable weapons it would have been easy to deter the pirates. Only on subsequent research did I discover that at that time Insurance companies did not like cargo ship crews being armed as it led to a greater perceived liability - however now most such ships do hire private armed security teams. On first impression the rescue finale by Navy SEALS would also seem like typical American nonsense - but check it out - it is true - it is actually what happened and how the crisis was actually brought to a close. What makes this film better than average is the excellent directing where the Captain is portrayed as an ordinary man - not a hero. The interplay between the Captain and Muse is superbly done. Muse is not your typical baddie either - it is clear that his (and his associates) are driven to this way of life. He calls the Captain "Irish" after he reveals he is American Irish and there is an excellent line where Phillips says to Muse "There's got to be something other than being a fisherman or kidnapping people?" to which Muse replies "Maybe in America, Irish, maybe in America". This sums up the disparity between the lives of the Captain and his crew and the Somali pirates.
I am not always a fan of Tom Hanks but there is no doubt that he is a fine actor and this is one of his best performances. And credit must go to Barkhad Abdi in his first film and being nominated for best actor in a supporting role. The US Navy is very impressive but not overplayed in the normal heroic form but rather as an effective and coordinated force. Apparently it is a requirement of the US military that if they take part in a film then they are portrayed in a positive manner so perhaps Greengrass was a little limited in how he could portray their role. The finale is very dramatic and the effectiveness of the seals cannot be understated. However, what we see if an effective disciplined force and not the usual gung-ho nonsense we see in many US films. I believe that many of the Navy roles were actually played by actual Navy personnel.
One issue is that it does not make it clear that Captain Phillips may not have been as good as he was portrayed as he had apparently ignored directives to keep at least 600 miles from the Somali coast and was just 250 miles out when hijacked. One of the crew member subsequently brought a legal case against the Captain. But again, given that Greengrass using the Captain's own account of the hijacking to base the film then it is understandable that this fact was avoided. Overall I would recommend this film for some fine acting and well directed drama. The plot would be full of holes if it were not all true so there is little negative that can be said there.
After the hijacking Muse was taken to the US and tried for piracy where he is now serving a 33 year sentence. All 4 of the pirates were between 17 and 19 years old.