If it weren’t for Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance as Abraham Lincoln, I would say that Captain Phillips has given us the most obvious lock for Best Actor in recent memory. Everyone says that Tom Hanks is one of the greatest actors of all time, pointing to films such as Forrest Gump-- but I say that it’s here, where he is at his most reserved and realistic, where he really proves himself to be one of the great actors of our time. Instead of playing a cartoon, he instead plays a real person in a real-life situation, making the movie far more involving and powerful. Also, because it’s a true story, I can’t pick apart plot holes. CURSES. Anyway, here we go.
Captain Phillips is the story of Richard Phillips, the captain (duh) of the cargo ship that was ambushed in 2009 by Somali Pirates off the coast of the horn of Africa. As the situation degrades, Phillips is taken hostage, the navy is called in, and shit gets real as the pirates start bickering with each other. Now, if you remember the actual event from 2009, I can imagine that there wouldn’t be much suspense in this movie for you. But back in ‘09, I was eleven years old, making it a little less easy for me to remember big news stories from the time. So I had the added bonus of not knowing ahead of time whether Phillips lived or died. Well, I guess the fact that this movie was based on the book he wrote about the event could have tipped me off... fuck it.
This movie has very few flaws, which means that when they are present, they stand out. Some of the dialogue is questionable, especially at the beginning where Phillips is talking to his wife. Clearly the writers understood this, and wrote her out as quickly as possible, sending us right into the action. There’s also some shaky-cam, which (contrary to popular belief) is NOT a revolutionary form of cinematography. The next half-hour, however, is VERY well-done, and seeing as most audience members have never sailed on a cargo ship before, it was entertaining and interesting to see what life was like on the boat. Also, this sequence builds the suspense and educates the audience about the goings-on of the ship, making the rest of the movie easier to understand, more entertaining, and fills the film with tension. Not to mention the foreshadowing shots of the lifeboat at the back of the ship, which are utterly goosebump-inducing.
The whole movie is very well-crafted, and exceptionally paced. No parts were glossed over, nothing was given too much or too little screen time, and it generally clicked along like a Swiss watch. When the pirates finally board, it’s a powerful scene, because somehow the director was able to create suspense in an event whose course is already set. Everyone knows that the pirates will board; it’s just a matter of when. But still, people will groan and sit in awe when it finally happens. It’s a trick in film that takes some serious mastering, but director Paul Greengrass knows what he’s doing, and his assured direction is both inspiring and wrought with tension. This is the kind of work that gives me hope for the future of cinema.
Tom Hanks, meanwhile, delivers a typically stunning performance as the nerve-wracked captain. I must say, it’s getting old seeing Tom Hanks deliver such tour de forces. But that’s a good complaint to have. The fact of the matter is that Hanks doesn’t quite bring his A-game until later in the movie, but that fits the tone perfectly. Phillips himself doesn’t have to do much other than a routine shipping until the pirates board, and that’s precisely the time when Hanks begins his incredible acting. A perfect example: When an actor plays a character who is lying, they often make the mistake of having the character be too good at it. Sure, an actor is probably great at lying in real life-- THEY’RE A FRIGGIN’ ACTOR. But when playing an ordinary person, the actor has to remember to make the lie a little less than believable. Hanks is exceptional at this. As he guides the Somalis through the corridors and rooms of the ship, his acting is believable but his lies are not. Which is not only exceptional acting, it’s entertaining. By the time Hanks delivers his emotional and cathartic final scene, the audience will be absolutely riveted.
Barkhad Abdi meanwhile, in his first movie role, plays the pirate’s leader with remarkable finesse. He actually holds his own against Hanks, which is an amazing thing for someone who has never been in a film before. The whole cast is fleshed-out and perfectly chosen, but it’s the intense dynamic between Hanks and Abdi that makes it so good. Their dialogue is extremely well-written, and the writers made the pirates far deeper and more three-dimensional than I was expecting. They could have just made them faceless villains who don’t have anything more to their personalities than greed and vanity. But instead, they became sympathetic characters who (although they were shitheads and deserved to die) actually conveyed a lot of depth and confliction. They were ordinary fishermen reduced to a life of crime, and it was depressing. But it was also very good entertainment.
Final Score for Captain Phillips: 9/10 stars. It had some minor flaws, but those are easily overlooked when you think about the acting capability and directorial prowess displayed in this film. Sure, there’s some moments that aren’t particularly memorable. But in a movie where there is something unforgettable practically every five minutes, that’s not a huge complaint. It’s intense, it’s dramatic, and it’s VERY well-acted. This is one of the best movies of the year.
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