I’m not the biggest Tom Hanks fan. I readily admit that he’s a good (sometimes great) actor, but I just don’t find myself terribly interested in his work. In fact, my favorite Tom Hanks movie dates back to 1988 (Big) when Hanks was still a comedic talent. So count me in the minority when it comes to the academy award-winning actor. So it truly was a rare occasion this past weekend when I ventured out to the cinema to see a movie in Captain Phillips that features the aforementioned Hanks. And truth be told, I was surprisingly entertained.
The plot of the movie tells the tale of the Maersk Alabama, a US freighter navigating international waters off the coast of Africa. When a group of Somali pirates hijack the American ship, Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks) and his crew work to ensure the safety of the ship and its cargo until the U.S. Naval authorities can intervene.
In what has become an increasingly annoying trend with Hollywood productions based on true stories, there has been much dispute about the accuracy of the film. I hate to sound like a broken record, but it’s a vehicle to entertain, not to educate. I don’t think writers, actors, producers, or the industry as a whole try to purport themselves as objective documenters of history. So I find it completely baffling that there are people out there who bristle at the use of creative license to enhance the entertainment value of a film. But I digress.
What makes this movie entertaining is director Paul Greengrass’ ability to incrementally build tension throughout the first half of the movie. The threat is slow but imminent and all the players know where things are probably headed, but Greengrass and company are still able to tighten the proverbial screws. There’s a methodical rhythm to the open ocean that makes reactionary movement slow and Greengrass expertly uses that as a mechanism to keep the narrative taut. It also sets up a nice contrast to the rapid movements that occur in the closed spaces aboard the ships.
As for the aforementioned Hanks, he does a nice job of creating a character in Captain Phillips that feels real and has depth. Rather than pull from past performances, as other actors with long resumes are wont to do, Hanks puts something to film that feels fresh. The role calls for something understated but still compelling enough to carry a feature film and Hanks manages to walk that tight rope. It may not find its way into his pantheon of performances, but it deserves some recognition – especially when you consider that he was surrounded by a very inexperienced cast.
Yet as inexperienced as the supporting cast is, collectively they perform admirably. Barkhad Abdi, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat Ali, and Barkhad Abdirahman – all newcomers to the acting game – come together to portray the Somali pirates in a compelling manner. The combination of Billy Ray’s writing and their respective performances works to develop the characters into something more than gun toting villains. Of the group, Barkhad Abdi (as Muse) exhibits the best onscreen presence and puts together the most layered performance. Don’t get me wrong. They are not always perfect and there are moments where the delivery feels hammed up, but given their inexperience and the quality of the finished product, it’s hard to find too much fault with what makes it onto the big screen.
Like any other film, Captain Phillips is by no means perfect. The balance of the film feels very uneven, as the pacing comes to a screeching halt in the third act to such an extent that it almost feels like two different films. While you are waiting for the payoff through multiple false endings and a glut of detail, you can literally feel the goodwill built up by the taut first half of the film quickly erode. I can immediately count a number of moments that probably should have ended up on the cutting room floor.
Issues aside, Captain Phillips is a decently entertaining movie. While I don’t think you necessarily have to run out to the cinema to see it on the big screen, there are far worse ways to spend two hours of your life. You’ll probably get the best value from this movie as a rental, unless you are one of those people who believes all movies should be true to life, in which case you should probably take a pass. For everyone else, it will not only occupy those two hours of your life, but will entertain you for another hour thereafter as you will definitely feel compelled to go online and figure out where the line between fact and fiction resides.
Standout Performance: Tom Hanks. He is by far the most seasoned and most prominent member of the principle cast and thus deserves the lion’s share of the credit.
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