Captain Phillips (2013)

Captain Phillips is based on the true story of when a US flagged-cargo ship was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009.  This was the first time that this had happened to an American cargo ship in 200 years.  Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) was the captain of the ship.

Back in 2009 I had a warehouse job that enabled me to listen to the radio all day long during my shifts.  I remember having my ears glued to the little radio that was set up in my work station as I listened intently for updates about what was happening with Captain Phillips, his crew, and the Somali hijackers.

It was already 4 years ago, but it feels like yesterday.  I remember how America responded to this act of terrorism and that made me curious to see how the film would portray the situation.  I figured if the movie followed the truth closely, than it might have the potential to be a quality film and an Oscar Contender.

The movie was directed by Paul Greengrass.  Billy Ray wrote the screenplay, but Richard Phillips wrote the book that it is based on, “A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea.”

The noteworthy cast includes Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Michael Chernus, David Warshofsky, Chris Mulkey, Max Martini, Omar Berdouni, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, and Mahat M. Ali.

Hanks has not had a great part for a while, until now.  There was a time when he had one excellent movie after another.  This will be the movie that puts him back into the spotlight (it already has).  The role fit him like a glove and he wore it well.  His performance should be worth an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and if he wins, it would be well deserved (another one to add to the collection).  The film also deserves a Best Picture nomination.

The film does not follow the facts completely, but the few things that it does change only serve to make the movie more powerful, more entertaining, and more enjoyable.  The things that were changed were done so tastefully.  After all, with Tom Hanks in the driver’s seat, Hollywood has to dress the story up a little bit to turn it into a blockbuster.

Captain Phillips is an edge-of-your-seat suspenseful thriller that is one of the best movies of 2013.  It is one of those films that hits home a little harder because it is based on a true story.

I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Buy.