Rating of
3/4
O Captain, My Captain
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/01/14
Two outstanding performances from Tom Hanks and newcomer Barkhad Abdi help elevate the film above a typical biopic. In this case it follows the events of the Maersk Alabama, which, in 2009, was the first U.S. cargo ship in 200 years to be boarded by pirates. In this case, the Somali coast, crawling with various factions of pirates, targets ships of all kinds hoping for a big payday. Paul Greengrass is not stranger to turning out dramatic action - from United 93 to the Bourne series, he has proven he has a handle on how to not only adapt a good story - but he has a deft eye for action. Granted - you also have to realize he is a fan of the hand-held "shaky-cam" style of filming - and Captain Phillips is no different.
However, considering how much of the film takes place in a cramped lifeboat - that actually becomes a welcome style of filming. It can tend to get distracting at times - but watching the war of will between Hanks and Abdi keeps things quite thrilling. As the end nears, the tension grows and it leads to one of the most gripping finales in any film from 2013. That being said - the middle did tend to drag on just a bit. That being said, this is still a good film and worthy of the nominations it has received.
