The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
Billy Ray (screenplay), Richard Phillips (based upon the book "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea" by) |1 more credit »
Captain Phillips is a multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. It is - through director Paul Greengrass's distinctive lens - simultaneously a pulse-pounding thriller, and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization. The film focuses on the relationship between the Alabama's commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (two time Academy Award®-winner Tom Hanks), and the Somali pirate captain, Muse (Barkhad Abdi), who takes him hostage. Phillips and Muse are set on an unstoppable collision course when Muse and his crew target Phillips' unarmed ship; in the ensuing standoff, 145 miles off the Somali coast, both men will find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control.Written by
Sony Pictures Entertainment
When Chris Mulkey's character starts talking about him being in the Union and not being paid to deal with pirates, only Tom Hanks knew that Mulkey was going to start saying those things. The reactions of the rest of the cast was completely real and natural. See more »
Goofs
When the pirates attempt to board the Maersk Alabama, Phillips orders a few hard maneuvers to the left and right to throw off the pirates. We get to see a shot of the rear rudders turning. When he orders to go right, you see the ship turn right on the screen from a top-down perspective. A ship that uses his rear rudders to go right will sway left, thus coming closer to the pirate ship rather than moving away from it.
The same mistake is made when he orders to turn left. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Andrea Phillips:
Okay.
[Andrea and Richard get in car and start driving]
Andrea Phillips:
You all right?
Captain Richard Phillips:
Yeah.
Andrea Phillips:
You'd think these trips would get easier, but it's just the opposite.
Captain Richard Phillips:
Well, I feel the same way, Ange.
Andrea Phillips:
I know this is what we do. This is our life. But it just seems like... the world is moving so fast... right now things are changing so much.
Captain Richard Phillips:
They sure are. I'll tell you something. It's not gonna be easy for our kids. They'll be going into a different world than the one you and I came into.
See more »
What a stunning film - the imminent threat of deadly violence tempered with the tragic circumstances that drive people to such desperate actions made for a very human story.
If Hanks is nominated for an Oscar for this, then Barkhad Abdi deserves a nomination too, because their scenes together were electric - never once did Abdi appear the junior party, every bit Hank's equal as two cunning foes trying to outfox one another.
The best lines in the film were perhaps when Phillips beseeched of Muse: "Surely there's something other than fishing and kidnapping people you could do?"
To which Muse replied, sombrely: "In America, maybe".
It's a must see, the best film I've seen this year.
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What a stunning film - the imminent threat of deadly violence tempered with the tragic circumstances that drive people to such desperate actions made for a very human story.
If Hanks is nominated for an Oscar for this, then Barkhad Abdi deserves a nomination too, because their scenes together were electric - never once did Abdi appear the junior party, every bit Hank's equal as two cunning foes trying to outfox one another.
The best lines in the film were perhaps when Phillips beseeched of Muse: "Surely there's something other than fishing and kidnapping people you could do?"
To which Muse replied, sombrely: "In America, maybe".
It's a must see, the best film I've seen this year.