CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (New York Film Festival New York, New York USA 2013)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.5|5.0 Stars ìììì

Captain Phillips—terrific, highly entertaining, fresh—shows Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips) at his best. He seems lost in the character as if he is Captain Phillips. His acting makes the audience think they are in the real story of the Maersk Alabama container ship outbound from Oman to Kenya as it is boarded by Somali sea pirates and eventually rescued by American Navy Seals. The film well-portrays the difference between primitive and advanced human cultures; the danger of attempting to interface with aggressive, primal individuals; and the vast gap between knowledgeable, civilized people and those less enabled. Highly tense, well written script makes this movie an outstanding watch.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

The  true story of the Maersk Alabama cargo ship's 2009 voyage through the Indian Ocean, the pirates who attempt to catch and board, and the captain who courageously works to save his ship and crew from plunder and murder.

Additional Thanks

Great Work for Director Paul Greengrass. Thank you to Executive Producers Eli Bush, Gregory Goodman, and Kevin Spacey for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Muse (Barkhad Abdi), Bilal (Barkhad Abdirahman), Najee (Faysal Ahmed), Elmi (Mahat M. Ali), and Shane Murphy (Michael Chernus).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. Highly tense and realistic scenes mark this film among one of the best watches of 2013.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers