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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Lilly Faye's Movie Review: Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi




Dear Readers,

Captain Phillips is a movie I could really sink my teeth into. It's about the scourge of the high seas.




Dizzie: Plastic garbage?

Lilly Faye: No, the other one. Pirates. Although I must say, you are becoming much more astute lately, Diz.




Dizzie: I've been watching BBC News.

Lilly Faye: That explains it. Perhaps it's time I started giving you more responsibilities here at the blog.




Lilly Faye: Based on the book A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips and Stephan Talty, the film Captain Phillips tells the real-life story of the takeover of the U.S.-flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates in 2009.

It stars Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips, and Barkhad Abdi as Muse, the leader of the pirate gang who took over the ship. The film was a 2014 Academy Award nominee for Best Motion Picture of the Year, and Abdi was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

I was a little worried at the beginning of the movie when the clunky dialogue between Hanks and Catherine Keener, who played Mrs. Phillips, felt like too much exposition. However, that only lasted a few minutes. Hanks soon boarded the ship, and both the ship and the story were quickly underway. 

Tom Hanks did a phenomenal job, and Barkhad Abdi and the other actors who played his gang of pirates were amazing, as well. The pirates were convincingly menacing, but also pathetic in a way. 

Even though I knew the outcome of the story from listening to news reports at the time the incident happened, the film still kept me on the edge of my seat. It is extremely suspenseful.

Dizzie: I'll say. I had to get an oinky to chew on, I was so nervous!

Lilly Faye: One of the most realistic and moving parts of the entire film takes place near the end, in a scene between a Navy Corpsman and Tom Hanks. I'd like to give a shout out to real-life Navy Corpsman Danielle Albert, who lent the scene tremendous authenticity. You can read how her scene came about in this article which appeared in Navy Times in October 2013:



Would you like to add anything else, Diz?

Dizzie: Don't forget to turn on the subtitles! Half the dialogue is in Somali, so you're going to need them.

Lilly Faye: Thanks for mentioning that, Diz. Now it's time to rate the movie.

Movie Rating: Two Paws Up! Highly Recommended!


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