Captain Phillips

Simply epic...

It is getting to the time of year again when the winter blockbusters and Oscar hopefuls are being released. Captain Phillips truly ticks the box for both of these categories.


Inspired by the true story of Captain Phillips, a container ship Captain who's ship is hijacked by Somali pirates. Every second of this film keeps you hooked even though you know what is going to happen. We all know the pirates board the ship but it doesn't matter. The tension is at times BRUTAL!

Tom Hanks gives an, expected, stellar performance. On a par with his performance in Castaway, and if he isn't nominated for the Best Actor category at the Oscar's then there is no justice. He deserves it simply for his portrayal in his final scene when he is being treated for shock. I have never seen a more realistic performance in my life. He was the perfect candidate for this role and he makes it look effortless, as if he was actually Captain Phillips on the real ship, which is testament to his ability as an actor.

The supporting cast playing the crew is good but with no stand out performances but there role was minimal anyway. The story is about Phillips and his interactions with the Somali pirates, who could easily be credited with stealing the show.

If you think Hanks was good these guy's blow him away. Every single one of the actors playing the Somalian pirates nails it. None of these guys were actors prior to this film and they do an incredible job. Playing a role which will be all too real to them in their lives and doing it beyond professionally. They all deserve an incredible amount of praise for their performances, the stand out for me being, Faysal Ahmed, who plays Najee.

Faysal Ahmed as Najee

Faysal, as an armature actor, portrays a Ghat obsessed pirate with an incredibly aggressive personality. His performance is unbelievable. He could easily be Best Supporting Actor but he won't because his role is smaller than that of Barkhad Abdi, who plays Muse.

Abdi is equally talented and surprising but not in the same way that Faysal is. All in all the performance given by the Somalian actors is unquestionably perfect.

The interaction between Hanks and the Somali actors is magical. They bounce off of one another and the chemistry is clear. The audience picks up on the mutual respect, fear and hate that these men had for each other.

Every scene if bursting with tension and is scripted, directed, shot and played beautifully. All the CGI use in this film is excellent and at no point does anything look faked or unnatural.

I am sure that nautical experts will probably pick up on mistakes in this film but they will miss the point. The film is not about the boat, or the hijacking itself, but rather about the bravery of one man to ensure the safety of his crew and the desperation of the Somalian men to resort to these actions.

The final few scenes when everything comes to a head are brilliantly nerve racking. For anyone who has read Captain Phillips book, A Captain's Duty, they will know the final outcome, but for those who haven't... each scene is bursting with tension and Hanks is at his absolute best. His anxiety, fear and desperation mixing with the hate and drug fuelled greed of the pirates and the cool and collected nature of the Navy Seals.

A Captain's Tale by Captain Richard Phillips

This film is a far cry from Paul Greengrass's Bourne Ultimatum, an action packed thriller with a very different style. Captain Phillips is more refined and mature. For a film about hijacking and pirates there is limited violence which I feel helps the film build tension because the audience doesn't know when everything is going to boil over.

I could happily watch this film again and would find it just as emotional and tense as I did the first time and would enjoy Hanks performance just as much.

All in all, I love this film. I love Tom Hanks and you HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE!

Captain Phillips Trailer

9.5/10 easy!

Much love...