Captain Phillips

This movie has been on my list for months now. I am very wary of Oscar nominated movies now and did not want to get bored on a weekend. I watched it today... and guess what, it is great. No wonder it didn't win an Oscar. Good and entertaining movies generally don't.


The flick is based on a real story and the book 'A Captain's Duty : Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea' by Richard Phillips. Richard Phillips, played by Tom Hanks, was the captain of a ship travelling from Oman to Kenya. He has to pass the Somali basin infamous for pirates. He ups the security on the ship but is pursued by pirates. He manages to ward them off but they return... and take hold of the ship. Richard plays smart and ensures his crew stays hidden. Unfortunately, he is taken a hostage and it is upto the US government to free him.

The flick is damn good... Richard is calm... smart... and knows how to deal with the pirates. There is no melodrama or the usual crap about US out to save the world ... and yet it manages to touch. Barkhad Abdi as the pirate is damn good. I think he would have won the Oscar if it was not for Jared Leto.

A must watch... wish I would have seen it in the theatre.