Captain Phillips: Movie of the week

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
Starring: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi
Rated: 9/10

The Somalian pirates have been making news off and on, but, without making waves despite operating on the high seas. However, Captain Phillips will change all that. For, this Hollywood film is a powerful, edge-of-the-seat drama on a real-life incident in which an American cargo ship captain is kidnapped by young, two-bit Somalian pirates demanding $10 million in return.

The film, besides the signature performance of Tom Hanks, is a powerful depiction of how prized a single American life is for the US Government. A unit of US precision target Seals is airdropped into the troubled waters of Somalia all the way from America to save this American aam aadmi and the way they orchestrate the surrender and a rescue mission (and I am not saying this because the Seal skipper is just too groovy) is very tautly unfolded on screen.

Captain Phillips being a real flesh and blood man, who, we are told, is now back at sea despite the trauma of being a hostage in 2009, adds a lot of flesh to the story.

Coming back to back with another showstopper Gravity which made waves last week, this one draws more blood with its thriller outfit, aided and abetted by Hanks’ larger than life histrionic capabilities. He is back on the screen after a long, long time but looks far from rusted. All the talk of him being in the Oscar race does not sound misplaced.

Also, the hijack leader, the lean and mean Somalian youngster with a skewed sense of humour (Barkhad Abdi), plays his part impeccably and makes a mark despite the towering presence of Hanks in every frame along with him.

But yes, a word for the slick editing and the as real as it gets story structure which actually make this film one of those capers which come with an in-built adrenaline rush which infect the audience equally and totally.


Definitely, the movie of the week! 

Source: Sunday Pioneer, 20 October, 2013

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