Many will see “Captain Phillips” for its exciting moments and thrilling conclusion – or, more specifically, to watch the hijacking and take in the edge-of-your-seat saga that unfolds when Phillips is taken hostage on a lifeboat by the pirates. However, while these may be the most exciting parts of the story, the film’s beginning contributes enormously to its overall success.
For the first 20-30 minutes of “Captain Phillips,” we are shown a man, in Richard Phillips, with a simple, hard-working, but ultimately relaxed routine. He receives an assignment at sea, goes through the motions of getting to the airport and heading to where he’s needed, and quickly but casually assumes control of the Maersk Alabama, and through it all Hanks skillfully portrays an average, honest man with a quiet passion and skill for his job.
Once on the ship, we’re lulled (to the extent possible, given that we know the story) into an almost odd sense of comfort. Crew members joke, eat and drink together, Captain Phillips has casual conversations with his first mate, and there’s a fairly laid back atmosphere. At one point Phillips is in a simple but not uncomfortable looking cabin writing an email to his wife, and the comfort of the ship jumps up a notch in our minds (Internet will do that to us!).
In fact, it’s not a huge stretch to imagine Phillips or his crew members logging in to Betfair’s exchange games while on a casual journey and gambling a few hands online. An Internet casino like this one can be great dynamic entertainment after all, thanks to the plethora of games and betting options available, so it could be a great way to pass time on a journey – and perhaps on an ordinary journey this is just what might happen. One can imagine the captain alone in his cabin playing online poker tournaments with online tables of Texas Hold’Em competitors deep into the night while rocking safely at sea. It also isn’t hard to imagine the crew gathering around computer screens cheering each other on in gambling arcade games available online, seeking camaraderie and entertainment together in the form of Internet casino play. In short, while the Maersk Alabama isn’t a comfort cruise, the early portion of the f
ilm lets us think that it could at least be a casual and somewhat enjoyable, leisurely experience – on an ordinary journey.
But the Maersk Alabama’s journey quickly becomes something very far from ordinary. Not long into the journey (and after Phillips displays some level of intuition that a pirate attack may occur) the ship is boarded by armed pirates. Here the film displays a bit of a surprise, as the crew actually fights back fairly effectively by following basic procedure. This portion of the film comes across as very realistic – we know that the pirates are not professional fighters, that they act out of need rather than want, and this comes through in their occasional struggle to control the situation. And of course, in the end, they’re relegated to taking Phillips hostage on a lifeboat, rather than holding the whole ship hostage.
Once it encases itself in the lifeboat, the film takes on a quality hardly worth describing in words. In his interactions with the 4 Somali pirates, his attempts to aid the Navy in rescuing him peacefully, and ultimately his full realization of the horror of his ordeal, Hanks is nothing short of astonishing. And by the end of the film, there’s certainly no doubt that he’ll be back in Oscar contention. This is a fine film, and Hanks is as strong as ever.
