Tuesday 22 October 2013

Film: 'CAPTAIN PHILLIPS"

If anyone goes to this hoping for two hours plus of highly charged excitement, I doubt if they'll be demanding a refund. By the time it finished I felt quite drained as director Paul Greengrass turns the screws real tight and keeps them in that position.

A lot of people have already seen this so I won't bother to repeat anything other than it's an essentially simple tale (claiming to be based on true story) of Somali pirates highjacking a container ship off the Kenyan coast for a several million dollar ransom. We are all familiar with the relatively new hazard of piracy in that area and though I'd have heard the news about this one I couldn't recall the details nor how it had ended. I also hadn't realised that this was the first major event of its kind.

Tom Hanks, as the captain, here and so often elsewhere, presents an all-round good guy (with family, of course, though it is based on fact), this admirable quality almost certainly spilling over from the persona he presents in real life which, I dare say, he could well be, and I would certainly like to think he is. However, I do tend to find this a bit of a problem in his films as I can't always get beyond the man who is acting - and he almost always plays a 'goody'. (That's why I thought it was a refreshing change to see him in a negative role in the excellent 'World Atlas' at the start of this year). But for this film he is ideally cast as the conscientious, no-nonsense man in charge.

Brakhad Abdi as the chief pirate is a revelation. Totally convincing, he shows us how terrifying such a figure can be, a man who refuses to recognise that he, along with everyone else, has feet of clay. Incidentally, I found it interesting that neither side at any time invoked the name of God/Allah. If they did I missed it. Or maybe it's a mistake to assume that pirates who also happen to be Islamic (I assume) are all religious zealots.   

It's a very loud film. Once the action starts in earnest there's hardly a break from the thumping soundtrack. Also, there's quite a bit of shouting. In fact the entire experience at the cinema I went to approached quite close to aural pain. (I'd forgotten to take my cotton wool ear plugs, which I would have used without doubt.) But I find sound turned up to max is a common feature of many cinemas nowadays, much more than it used to be. It's as though they want to make sure we don't doze off, which is hardly likely in a tense drama like this.

As entertainment this film is very high quality, superior to many other reconstructed real-event dramas I've seen. For that reason it would be unfair if I awarded it anything less than a well-deserved.......................7.5.

21 comments:

  1. Abdi was exceptional.... Clever casting me thinks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree totally - AND he lives in the U.S.A. He had to look authentic to be convincing, and he most certainly was.

      Delete
  2. This movie is definiately not for me. But I am curious to know how it ends.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, Dr Spo, at the risk of giving too much away, the only thing I will reveal is that at the end there's much relief all round. Who would have thought it? :-)

      Delete
  3. Be safe Ray, keep the kitties in no matter what tonight!

    Will check on you tomorrow

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sol. We survived okay - as I'm assuming that you did too - but I hope to hear about your situation in your blog (later today maybe?) It was certainly a noisy night. One of my main concerns was the cats being unable to go outside to do their night-time 'business'. I always leave the kitchen window open for them to go and come but they were probably too frightened to use it. However, this morning all seems to be well.

      Delete
  4. I heard a wonderful radio interview of Hanks and Greengrass over the weekend. Hearing there comments about the making of the film have made me more interested in seeing it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It gets my rating of approval, H.K. If you want a couple of hours of tension and excitement this film delivers just that.

      Delete
  5. Hope you are all ok and were safe and no damage after the high winds

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sol. Yes, I'm fine - and just left a comment to that effect on your own blog. Pussies are fine, though they now have the trial, for the next week or more, of the noise of fireworks - first Hallowe'en, then Nov 5th. Their nerves will be shreds when all this is over.

      Delete
  6. ohhh Ray, can you use one of those plug ins and cat nip to calm the cats?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not sure what you mean by 'plug ins' Sol, but I do very occasionally give them a pinch of catnip. It hardly calms them, in fact they go berserk with excitement, which is fun to watch but although after a while I've had enough they are still running and jumping about like mad things. So maybe your suggestion was ironical?

      Delete
  7. hey Ray you can get a plug in that emits something that calms cats

    http://www.medicanimal.com/viewcontent?contentId=289413&newLocale=en_GB&gclid=CIbO-_rqvLoCFXDItAodIj4ADg

    am off to see thor when it comes out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's valuable info, Sol. Thanks very much indeed. I'd never heard of these things - and I've just looked up my local big pet store here and they do have these in stock. Trouble is, I've also seen the price, and they don't come cheap, so I'm afraid that it's going to have to wait. Pity that, 'cos it could have been so useful - and might have saved some distress. I could really do with a couple of them, one for the living room and one for the kitchen, where the window is permanently open to allow feline 'traffic'. But I shall certainly bear this in mind. Thanks again.

      Delete
  8. It would be an investment as you would only need it on a few nights at a time a year. My mum had one for her dog. as it used to eat through cables, try and get into the sofa. The vet just wanted to drug him and then he was sick everywhere and then a young vet at the practice from new Zealand put him on to it. he said they do the same for cats and to give plenty of cat nip to keep them inside.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do mean to get one, Sol, but (believe it or not) I actually have NO spare money at all. I'm living day to day to get through the next 3 weeks when I hope my winter fuel subsidy arrives from the govt. It's one reason why my cinema visits have had to take a back seat - though it would also help if there was something on that I really wanted to see. (Hoping to see at least one film next week, though.) Meantime, the pussies will have to put up with life as it is, and just as I'm having to do.

      Delete
  9. Cool. I am just back from seeing Thor. Really liked it. There were some funny moments. if you go sit through the credits.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Must admit this was not on my list, Sol. Now you've given me a dilemma - though for the above reason I'm having to severely limit my film-watching for a while. Still, thanks for letting me know.

      Delete
  10. Just heard good things about this film from someone else whose judgment I trust! Hope we'll get to see it. Maybe in New York next week. (Because who knows when it will get to Málaga!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Um... What I meant was... Someone else whose judgment I trust like I trust yours!

      Delete
    2. Thanks for that clarification, Mitch, but, knowing you as I do, I'd have read it that way anyway.
      Yes, this needs to be seen on the big screen - and it'll be sure to get your adrenalin flowing.

      Delete