This Oscar season is one of the best in recent history. Ground breaking films like “Gravity” and “12 Years a Slave” have given this year’s Oscar voters a very difficult decision in choosing the best picture. But no set of best picture nominees is complete without a film starring the great Tom Hanks.

Directed by Paul Greengrass, “Captain Phillips” is the film based on the real life events of Captain Richard Phillips, whose ship was assaulted by Somalian Pirates. This harrowing story follows a series of events that leads up to an incredible showdown between a group of desperate pirates and the might of the U.S. Navy.

The star of the film was the incredible Tom Hanks. His performance in this film is one of his best and stands side by side with his greatest performances. The journey that Captain Richard Phillips underwent must have been immensely terrifying and Hanks embodied that fear from the moment the first shot rang out.

The surprising break-out performance in the film was that of Barkhad Abdi. Abdi played the main pirate leader, Muse. Before “Captain Phillips” Abdi had never acted before. Abdi, a native Somalian, was cast for the film while living in Minneapolis. Abdi’s incredible performance has garnered him much attention throughout the film community.

“Captain Phillips” is one of the most highly decorated films of this year’s award season. It has been nominated for 6 different Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Supporting actor (Barkhad Abdi), and Best Adapted Screenplay. Captain Phillips was also nominated for four Golden Globe awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Director.

This film’s story and script combined with the two amazing performances from Hanks and Abdi prove Captain Phillips is well deserving of its best picture nomination. This film was released relatively early for the Oscar season so it is available to buy or rent now. I rate this film a 4.75 out of 5 and definitely recommend seeing it.

Share