Impeccably
constructed and surprisingly complex, the movie succeeds on all notes but one:
characterization. Based on the real-life takeover of an American cargo ship by
Somali pirates, it offers an immaculate reconstruction of a chaotic incident,
portrayed on screen with immediacy and intelligence. Full of kinetic energy,
exciting and suspenseful, the film traces Captain Richard Phillips’ ill-fated
journey on and off the Maersk Alabama in early April of 2009. The only problem
is we don’t know enough about him, the journey, the ship, or the pirates to
care.
“It’s just
business,” pirate leader Muse (Barkhad Abdi) keeps repeating, a phrase not
actuality uttered, but reflected in the attitude of Captain Phillips
(Tom Hanks, portraying the kind of quiet, commanding role Oscar dreams are made
of). Curt and professional towards his crew and extremely attentive to security
measures, the title character is a civilian tasked with getting a huge cargo
ship safely from Oman to Kenya down the Horn of Africa. It’s clear he just
wants to get the job done as quickly and effectively as possible.
