MOVIE OF THE WEEK (10/11/13): CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

"Go ahead and call us a Somali version of NWA and we WILL be forced to take action against you!" Somali pirates Elmi (Faysal Ahmed), pirate leader Muse (Barkhard Abdi) Bilal (Barkhad Abdirahman) and Najee (Mahat Ali) get ready to make their attack against the Maersk Alabama commercial freighter led by the titular character (played by Tom Hanks) in Paul Greengrass' big screen adaption of the true story of CAPTAIN PHILLIPS. Credit: © 2013 Columbia Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:

KEY CAST MEMBERS: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhas Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali, Michael Chernus, Corey Johnson, Max Martini, Chris Mulkey, Yul Vazquez and David Warshofsky

WRITER(S): Billy Ray (screenplay); A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty (novel)

DIRECTOR(S): Paul Greengrass

WEB SITE: http://www.captainphillipsmovie.com/site/#splash

60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS: Based on the true events that took place in March of 2009, Captain Phillips stars Tom Hanks as Richard Phillips, a Vermont-based man who simply wants to provide for his wife (Catherine Keener) and their children. That's why he steers ships like the Maersk Alabama all around the world from places like Oman to just off the African coast.

Unfortunately, that area is also ripe for Somali pirates like the group led by Muse (Barkhad Abdi) for whom the risk of trying to hijack big ships is worth it considering the big ransom paydays they can provide. And the Maersk Alabama might just be the floating treasure chest Muse and his crew have been waiting for all their lives.

What ensues is harrowing tale of desperation, survival and personal resolve as told from two opposite perspectives before reaching its climax ...

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST?: Tom Hanks fans, fans of international incidents, fans of Navy SEALs, people who like suspense that builds slowly to a crescendo, people who love movies that put them in "what would I do in this scenario?' situations and anyone interested in films that explore more than what is the easy, formulaic way to approach a story of this nature. 

WHO WON'T LIKE THIS FILM?: People who like shorter movies, people who come expecting an action movie 

BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? Very good – although the last 30 minutes may feel like an exercise in making you await the inevitable to an arduous degree.

WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: Captain Phillips is a VERY detailed account of a very serious affair that while somewhat known in America has not been tackled in American mainstream cinema in this fashion. Director Paul Greengrass saved no paint-staking detail in bringing the audience into the scenario unfolding on screen, detailing every twist and turn of Phillips' harrowing journey. The ocean itself becomes a major part of the story, which is fitting given that the film was shot painstakingly over 60 days on the high seas. 

While Hanks delivers the solid performance you would expect out of him, the thing that most drives the film besides Greengrass' painstaking attention to detail is the performance of the four Somali leads, Barkhad Abdi in particular. As Muse, the leader of the group attempting to overthrow the Maersk Alabama, Abdi gives you a full range of emotions so that you not only understand his actions, you also empathize (at times) with him and the actions he takes. Abdi plays well against Hanks, one as a man thrust into a desperate situation unexpectedly and another as a man whose own desperation has rendered him willing to do whatever it takes to chance it – both being the same, just on the opposite sides of the coin.

All in all – save for a bit of extended drag as the film builds towards its climax – Captain Phillips is not only an interesting old-fashioned suspense thriller, but also one of the best films of the year thanks to a mix of story, performance, intelligence and suspense executed to near perfection. 

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):