"Captain Phillips" does for the story of the Maersk Alabama what "United 93" did for stories of heroism from 9/11.

Rating: 9/10 (28 October 2015)

Sometimes movies almost write themselves. Many of us who remember following the news of the 2009 hijacking of the commercial ship Maersk Alabama and the kidnapping of its captain may also remember thinking how the saga played out much like a movie. Then, 2013 gave us "Captain Phillips" (PG-13, 2:14). Of course, there's much more to the story than those news reports were able to tell us at the time. A quick internet search would give you the history of this event, but I'll still restrict myself to just setting up the plot, as I'd do in any other review, in case you want to see the story unfold as if for the first time.
Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) is the Maersk Alabama's wise and experienced captain, guiding his cargo ship down the coast of eastern Africa when the vessel is attacked by Somali pirates. Phillips knows that these are dangerous waters and even has his crew drill and prepare for a potential piracy situation, but no one on the ship imagines that it will actually happen to them. When it does, both captain and crew show bravery, resourcefulness and smarts that stymie the pirates' plan to hold the ship for ransom. This leads the pirates to use the ship's enclosed life boat to get away, but with Captain Phillips as their hostage. This sets up a race against time with the U.S. Navy working to save Captain Phillips before the pirates can get him back to Somalia and ransom him to secure the payoff that they feel is their due.
Everything about this film is superb. Tom Hanks gives one of the best performances of his impressive career. Every fear, every calculation, every bit of pain is etched across his face, while his righteous defiance undergirds it all. The pirates are played by four Americans (and real-life friends) of Somali descent (impressively led by Barkhad Abdi) and are all first-time actors. Still, they imbue their characters with an authenticity that makes us fear them and a humanity that stops short of making us sympathize with them, but helps us understand them. Paul Greengrass (who also directed the 2nd and 3rd movies in the "Bourne" franchise and the underrated "United 93") again shows that he's a master of tension and pacing. He makes this story fascinating to watch, even if you remember what happened during those four dramatic days. "A"