Captain Phillips

Films based on true stories/real people are usually fraught with grit, intensity, intelligence, and are typically topped with a message--somewhat underlying and/or obvious. Funny how films are rarely based on a whimsical or light fare, but instead are heavy-laden and incredible serious. "Captain Phillips" certainly is no exception here as it is based on a harrowing experience that a captain and his crew went through for a number of days.

This is a multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. It's through director Paul Greengrass's distinctive lens--simultaneously a pulse-pounding thriller, and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization. The film focuses on the relationship between the Alabama's commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks), and the Somali pirate captain, Muse (Barkhad Abdi), who takes him hostage. Phillips and Muse are set on an unstoppable collision course when Muse and his crew target Phillips' unarmed ship; in the ensuing standoff, 145 miles off the Somali coast, both men will find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control.

Others to round out the cast are Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, and Mahat M. Ali as Bilal, Najee, and Elmi respectively as Muse's pirate crew, Michael Chernus as Shane Murphy, Catherine Keener as Andrea Phillips, Captain Phillips' wife, David Warshofsky as Mike Perry, Corey Johnson as Ken Quinn, Chris Mulkey as John Cronan, Yul Vazquez as Captain Frank Castellano, Max Martini as SEAL Commander, Omar Berdouni as Nemo, Mohammed Ali as Asad, and Issak Farah Samatar as Hufan.

As stated above, this was intensely directed by Greengrass ("Resurrected" '89, "The Fix"  (TV movie) '97, "The Theory of Flight" '98, "Bloody Sunday" '02, "The Bourne Supremacy" '04, "United 93" '06, "The Bourne Ultimatum" '07, "Green Zone" '10). As one can tell by this guy's very resume, his attention to painstaking realism is unsurpassed, which, I believe, makes him stand out from the normal director. You want realism that is actually a tough watch, but a worthwhile one? Rent "United 93", The realism is that is spine tingling. The realism in this didn't match that of United, but it still was able to keep you on the edge of your seat. It was well written by Billy Ray based on the book, "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea"by Richard Phillips with Stephan Taley. Assuming this book is accurate, this captain and his crew, but specifically Captain Phillips went through their own private hell. It was gripping, and shows us that life and its situations can turn on a dime.

If you're into films based on true stories that are intense and gripping, this is definitely the film for you. But even if you're necessarily not, the acting by Hanks and Abdi as Muse, plus the incredible direction by Greengrass will keep you riveted just to see how this standoff unfolds.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                          Rated: PG-13                          134mins.