Welcome back Tom Hanks. Truly great roles have eluded the two time Academy Award winner in recent years, but Hanks still has the ability to deliver award worthy work when he has quality material to work with. He has found such material in Captain Phillips, which is based on the true story of Richard Phillips' struggle with Somali pirates in 2009, when they boarded his ship, the MV Maersk Alabama, threatening his life and that of his crew.
Before the action begins, Phillips is shown in a casual conversation with his wife, Andrea (Catherine Keener), discussing one of their children, who had recently gone through a tough time. That small scene helps to define the character of Phillips, who truly cares about those who he feels responsible for protecting/keeping safe. However, Phillips is all business when it comes to his ship and his gruff, by the book demeanor does not go over well with his crew. But when their lives are placed in jeopardy by the gun toting pirates, they could ask for no one more emotionally capable and shrewd than their Captain.
The look of terror on Phillips' face when the pirates take over the ship masks his overall awareness of the situation and his ability to think how best to outsmart them. As Captain, Phillips takes charge, as well as responsibility and places his own life in danger to hopefully save his crew. While the pirates pose a significant threat, their leader, Muse (Barkhad Abdi), is a businessman who understands that if they can peacefully work out an agreement, the U.S. government might pay a hefty ransom. Of course that does not stop his three accomplices from waving their guns around in the faces of various crewman, thus ratcheting up the tension with the potential loss of life at any moment.
The tension is palpable before the pirates are even seen because Phillips seems to sense something is not quite right. When his suspicions turn out to be true, he does everything is his power to thwart the pirates and is initially successful. However, when the potential payoff might be huge, the pirates simply refuse to be denied. Hanks, along with director Paul Greengrass, tag team to amp up the suspense for over two hours and with firepower in the hands of the pirates for the majority of that time. When the second act begins, Phillips finds himself in even more danger, partly because of his concern for others that may come back to haunt him. He seems to understand how the ordeal will end, but is less sure if he will survive.
Paul Greengrass has mastered the action thriller with his previous work on United 93 and The Bourne Supremacy and Captain Phillips is an equally strong effort that boasts an outstanding performance from Tom Hanks, who is terrific throughout, but then morphs into brilliance during his final scene. Greengrass also elicits fine work from the four pirates, all newcomers, including the aforementioned Barkhad Abdi as well as Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed and Mahat M. Ali. Captain Phillips is a well acted and taut thriller that brings to life an unforgettable true story that showcases the depths one person is able to go to in order to survive while never losing his sense of humanity.
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