Captain Phillips

 "Shut up, Irish. Too much talking."
"The problem is not me talking. The problem is you not listening."

Richard Phillips (Hanks) takes control of the Maersk Alabama at the Port of Salalah.  It is a container ship with orders to sail Mombasa, through the Gulf of Aden and around the Horn of Africa.  There has been heavier pirate activity around Somalia, causing Phillips to call for pirate drills.

During a routine drill they are approached by speed boats.  They are able to repel attack, but the next day one of the boats returns.  The boat contains 4 heavily armed men: Muse (Abdi), Bilal (Abdirahman), Najee (Ahmed) and Elmi (Ali), who manage to board the ship.  Muse takes over the ship with plans to hijack the ship for a hefty bounty from the shipping company for the return of their ship and men. With tensions high, who will win the standoff.

The film is inspired by an actual incident in 2009 when the Maersk Alabama ship was attacked by Somalian pirates.  The ship's captain, Captain Richard Phillips, was taken hostage by the pirates.  In 2010 Richard Phillips and Stephen Tally wrote about the incident "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea".  The screenplay for the film was based on the book.

The film has boasted consistent buzz since premiering.  But it has also courted controversy.  Crew members have reputed Phillips book and his portrayal in the film.  The film received 6 Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Barkhad Abdi, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing.

The film shows both the good and bad aspects of the characters.  Tom Hanks is great in the title role, taking Phillips from strict captain to captive.  He is upstaged by Barkhad Abdi, in his first film role.  Abdi commands the screen.  Apparently director Paul Greengrass kept the Somali characters away from the American characters until they filmed their initial meeting to add to the tension in the scene.  The film overall is intense and focuses on the confrontation between the two men.  The other novice actors portraying the Somali pirates are intense and add to the tension on screen.  I look forward to seeing these men in future films and television shows.

A strong film that leaves you exhausted when the credits roll.

Captain Phillips (2013) 134 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for
Director: Paul Greengrass
Starring: Tom Hanks as Captain Richard Phillips
Barkhad Abdi as Muse
Catherine Keener as Andrea Phillips
Barkhad Abdirahman as BilalFaysal Ahmed as Najee
Mahat M. Ali as Elmi
Michael Chernus as Shane Murphy
David Warshofsky as Mike Perry
Corey Johnson as Ken Quinn
Chris Mulkey as John Cronan
Yul Vazquez as Captain Frank Castellano