Review of the movie Captain Phillips. Oscar-winning Hanks and Hungry Africa (Topic)

There is probably no need to remind that the movie is based on real events and tells about the seizure of the American cargo ship Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates. About the heroic behavior of the ship's crew, primarily Captain Richard Phillips, and the triumphant joint operation of the American Navy Seals and the US Navy to free the captain taken hostage.

The movie had a reasonably high expectation rating. Firstly, thanks to the head of the project, Paul Greengrass, the respected director of tough, dynamic, politicized action movies, who has assembled an excellent team of professionals in the genre — Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd (The Hurt Locker), edited by Christopher Rouse (Bourne franchise). Plus, twice-Oscar-winning Tom Hanks starring plus one of the most deservedly sought-after composers in cinema, Henry Jackman. Another reason — completely almost untouched in the cinema, but relevant today, the topic of sea piracy, especially based on the testimony of its direct participant, Captain Phillips.

Some of these expectations were more than justified. This is truly a signature Greengrass movie, gradually engaging in cool and intense action. It all starts extremely mundane, the wife escorts Phillips to the airport, on the way they peacefully talk about how life has become completely different, you need to keep up with it and hold on to it tightly. However, the conversation turns out to be almost in the subject of further events. At first everything is calm on the ship, then pirates appear as a warning, then the warning is replaced by a clear threat, followed by a catastrophe, its harsh resolution, and in the finale, on tense nerves, you can cry along with the survivor Phillips.

I have nothing against the trembling hand-held camera, which allegedly caused motion sickness in some spectators sitting in the hall. She adds documentary and emotional content to the story. And how even better it was possible to remove the inner space of a cramped lifeboat, while rolling, where there are 4 pirates, constantly chewing dope, and the unfortunate hostage-captain, all in a platoon, threaten each other with weapons and from time to time it comes to a massacre. The shooting, apparently, was not an easy one.

Tom Hanks is the core of the whole story, the king, the rest carry his mantle. Ship crew, military, seals — all unseen actors' faces, although recognizable. Michael Chernus from Men in Black 3, David Warshofsky (Hostage), Max Martini (Pacific Rim). And Somali pirates are not professional actors at all, which adds a lot to the credibility. Hanks' sincere sobs in the finale evoke informal sympathy, since the movieing process for the second part of the movie even physically looks uncomfortable and exhausting, not to mention the psychological getting used to the situation.

The movie is rather pretentious, the anthem of American democracy, the strongest democracy in the world, the anthem of the American military, again the most professional in the world, condemnation and punishment of world evil in the person of Somali pirates. Henry Jackman with his magical music makes the heart flutter and awakens the best feelings of kindness and justice in the audience. All in all, all is well.

A small fly in the ointment remains, unless it was planned in advance by Greengrass and screenwriter Billy Ray. There is no enemy in the movie. There are unfortunate, hungry, emaciated unemployed Somali fishermen, whom the local Somali mafia condemns to piracy, collecting regular tribute. They did not choose evil, this evil chose them. Next to them, all Americans look so fond of life, well-fed and well-groomed that it seems more logical to collect charitable aid for the unfortunate pirates, and not to arrange a sharp showdown with a fatal outcome. On four underfed, one of the bottom is a teenager, such military power is thrown, who can cope with a large army of such `` villains ''. Two worlds collide, like in Blomkamp's, the world of the elite and the world of outcasts, the existence of each is a great reproach and a distorting mirror for the other.

Still in this fly in the ointment — rigging, which is anonymously reported in an October 13, 2013 New York Post interview by crew members of the Maersk Alabama. In particular, Captain Phillips, according to the crew, is not the big leader as Tom Hanks interpreted him, but an overly irritable and self-righteous captain (sullen and self-righteous captain) who acted contrary to the existing anti-pirate plan of the International Maritime Organization and provoked the entire incident.

In fact, real facts are only a reason for artistic rethinking of events and it would be strange to reproach the authors of the movie that they followed the version of events set forth by Captain Richard Phillips. But they did not take detailed interviews from all the participants in a row and did not then follow Akira Kurosawa's modern naval version of the Rashomon. But by the end, the viewer's sympathy is torn between Phillips and the Somalis and this uncertainty spoils the impression and destroys the aura of perfection that usually accompanies the nomination of the movie for the Oscar.

The Topic of Article: Review of the movie Captain Phillips. Oscar-winning Hanks and Hungry Africa.
Author: Jake Pinkman