This is the way the story of Richard Phillips should be experienced!

Rating: 9/10 (25 October 2013)

This movie shows us the true story of Richard Phillips who was Captain of an American cargo ship, Phillips experienced being hijacked by Somali pirates back in 2009. This is a great story to build a film on and that is exactly what Billy Ray does. I have seen this movie three times now and I must say it is a masterpiece, the storytelling and acting is superb! Captain Philips is played by Tom Hanks who has once again surprised me with his amazing acting; this definitely is one of his best films. He portrays the role so well, it all feels real. I was literally on the edge of my seat in a cinema, it's that intense. Paul Greengrass has once again delivered a spectacular film.
One of the things I loved most about this movie is how it shows us both sides of the story to a degree where you can understand why the Somali pirates hijacked the ship but still you are rooting for Captain Phillips and his crew to win. The head of the Somali pirates Abduwali muse (Barkhad Adbi) plays a very convincing pirate with his aim to hijack a ship so he can make 'millions', he chooses Captain Phillips ship because the route his ship is taking is away from the other cargo ships unfortunately. Captain Phillips already believes that the route they are taking through the Somali basin is dangerous so he takes extra precautions which are unfortunately not enough.
Once again I must praise Tom Hanks for his acting, he acts like his life depends on it. He digs deep into a character showing great emotion. I can see this as being an Oscar winning performance. Now Barkhad Adbi who plays the role of Muse, I wasn't sure on him at first but he blew me away, he played the role amazing with his snarky name for Captain Phillips 'Irish'. This film can be heart-wrenching to watch at times, it's hard to watch Captain Phillips struggle through the decisions and obstacles that he faces. This film is not an action flick where Tom Hanks fights all the pirates and becomes the hero, he agrees to the terms of the pirates but makes it as hard as he can for the pirates without making it obvious. He is the hero in this movie, he does save his crew but not in the way you would expect. Phillips makes it so hard for Muse that soon he is only limited to a few options, now Muse is not dumb, he's actually quite intelligent but so is Phillips which makes this film entertaining to watch as they battle it out through wits.
The story of Richard Phillips is very interesting and Phillips actions were truly amazing and this film shows that in the best way possible, I have no complaints about it. If you're not interested in story see this movie anyway because of Tom Hanks, he steals the show with his great acting of the heroic man who is Captain Phillips. Paul Greengrass delivers an emotionally, tense and story driven movie that deserves to be rewarded with the highest honours. It sets the bar high for story riveting film making.