{"id":2802,"date":"2013-10-16T14:23:27","date_gmt":"2013-10-16T14:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/?p=2802"},"modified":"2013-10-16T14:23:27","modified_gmt":"2013-10-16T14:23:27","slug":"lff-2013-captain-phillips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/thriller\/lff-2013-captain-phillips\/","title":{"rendered":"LFF 2013: Captain Phillips ****"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A fitting film to open this year\u2019s BFI London Film Festival, Captain Phillips<\/em> holds one of Tom Hanks\u2019s finest and most raw performances to date. Coupled with Green Zone<\/em> and United 93<\/em> director Paul Greengrass\u2019s snappy direction and multitude of camera angles to capture every moment and reaction, the pace never eases and the intensity becomes almost unbearable.<\/p>\n

Based on the memoirs of Captain Richard Phillips, \u2018A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea\u2019<\/em>, the story follows events in 2009 when Somali pirates hijack the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama. When things go wrong, the pirates take Captain Phillips prisoner on the ship\u2019s life raft, resulting in the US Navy coming to his rescue.<\/p>\n

Admittedly the story all sounds like another tiresome, far-fetched, gun-ho demonstration of US military might on screen, if it wasn\u2019t for it being based on real-life events. In fact the American muscle doesn\u2019t come in until mid-way through: It\u2019s actually an exhilarating cat-and-mouse game first and foremost between vessel and pirates, followed by one man\u2019s tactical mental manoeuvring to survive a life or death ordeal. The very end scene is perhaps the most affecting of the lot; when Hanks as Phillips finally has time to reflect and the shock hits home.<\/p>\n

In order to counterbalance the pressure both sides feel mounting and to allow the fraught negotiation process to begin, Greengrass wisely adds some background understanding to the pirates\u2019 motivation (money) and gives us fleshed out foes. This points to his documentary schooling, seeing two, unbiased sides to any story.<\/p>\n

Somali actor Barkhad Abdi\u2019s debut is highly impressive, creating a worthy adversary as pirate leader Muse to Hanks\u2019s Captain Phillips. The two \u2018enemies\u2019 seem to have a bizarre kind of mutual respect for getting the desire outcome, respectively, with the minimum amount of fallout, further avoiding the two-dimensional portrayals of other pirate films \u2013 something the much lauded A Hijacking<\/em> was guilty of.<\/p>\n

Greengrass seems to hone his hand-held style with every new project, and Captain Phillips<\/em> is no different. The filmmaker very much gets right to the moment of the action with a variety of shots to construct the edgy momentum while never missing his protagonists\u2019 emotional journey in any one frame. We are always acutely aware of what is going through their minds while being swept away in an urgent \u2018newsgathering-style\u2019 motion.<\/p>\n

Captain Phillips<\/em> is a triumph for both Hanks and Greengrass, a seemingly physical film of dynamic proportions that looks great on the big screen. For the right balance of depth of character and action, it\u2019s a must see.<\/p>\n

4\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

By @FilmGazer<\/p>\n

Follow on Twitter<\/a>
\n