Saturday, May 3, 2014

Captain Phillips - Movie Review

Should have watched in on screen. Based on a true story of a Somali pirate hijacking 'Captain Phillips' is a taut thriller. The movie runs linearly but the drama is so good, rifles and danger all around, for both sailors and pirates, that one is glued to the movie to the very end.

Captain Phillips and crew are aboard an unarmed cargo ship going round the African coast when they are intercepted by two pirate skiffs on the Somalian coast (makes you wonder why they are unarmed when they know the coast has pirates). One of the skiffs is led by the temperamental Muse and an inexperienced trio of boys who want to make money. While the other skiff backs off upon hearing Phillips bluffing them about air cover etc, Muse chases the ship. The four pirates board the ship and there are tense times on board the ship until the pirates manage to get hold of Phillips and take off in the lifeboat. Now they have to negotiate for ransom. But before that they have to confront the force of Navy Seals and a US anti-piracy unit. As they are stranded in the ocean, running out of the local herb that keeps them alert and active, tempers fly, anything can happen. Can Captain Phillips be rescued in the end?

Tom Hanks is brilliant and so is Barhad Abdi as Muse. The real Muse is apparently in the US in prison while his team is killed. Captain Phillips is back on the ship after having penned down his experiences. Immensely watchable, taut with action and drama.

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