Captain Phillips: new Tom Hanks movie about Somali pirates and commercial shipping

[fisherman]

Saw it last night, very good. Here is a 'reddit' conversation with Philips:

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1p2csm/i_am_captain_richard_phillips_whose_story/

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Watched it yesterday.

Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Would watch it again.

 

[billcowan]

I have seen the trailer.
The ship in the trailer is the actual Maersk Alabama.
But it would seem her counter piracy measures have been significantly upgraded since the actual incident.

Ship in movie is sister Mearsk Alexander, I was in Malta when they were shooting

 

[tim_ber]

Seen the film.

Makes me very sad for both sides of the story. Although I sympathise with the Somalis and the way "Globalisation" has ruined the fishing grounds for them it is a step too far to hurt others however.

Don't know how accurate any of it was but the stress placed on merchant seaman would be great and very unfair. Good acting my middle-aged actors portraying scared middle-aged engineers doing brave things such as turning of generators and creeping around decks with AKs knocking around

If I had been there and it was only 4 of them, I'd certainly have been snapping scrawny necks, but then I have had a lot of training and merchant seaman haven't.

I also watched the other film mention in this thread (Dutch ship?) and again, the sadness that it took over 100 days to negotiate a price from £30 mil to £1.5mil or thereabouts is great. All very well for the insurers and boat owners in their offices and going home each night whilst poor crew endured hardships.

BUT good news about the invention by a British husband and wife. Looks very promising. Hope it works and hope the shipping lines keep thinking one step ahead because the pirates will certainly try to find a way around it.

 

[FishyInverness]

Saw the film last week and enjoyed it immensely - One of the very poignant parts for me was where the Pirate "in charge" was boasting about the xx Million he was going to make for the Hijack, and Capt Phillips responded asking him how much he would be taking from that - and the pirate fell ominously quiet, obviously realising that the hijack was a small victory and he'd be penniless and pushed out to crime again once the Gang Lords had taken his payday.

 

[oGaryo]

off to see the film tonight, looking forward to it going by the comments in this thread

 

[Biggles Wader]

If you google "Boularibank" you get an account of how to fight off a pirate attack.
Ironic that this incident happened on the last trip of the ship before she was scrapped along with the couple of others from a once great British line.Now all gone.

 

[Greenheart]

If only the merchant vessel could turn on its tormentors...

View attachment 36913

 

[fisherman]

Apparently the actors playing the pirates were kept apart from the 'crew' until shooting the scene, no rehearsal.

 

[cryan]

The sad irony about modern shipping is that the real pirates are usually the ones with their house flag up the mast!

 

[Mariner69]

+1

 

[Cheery]

Watched it last night (yes I know, slow aren't I). Thought it was very good film. I too have similar thoughts regarding little if any security for such big ships and the fact that ransom negotiators and ship owners are going home every night while crew are enduring hell on Earth.

 

[john]

According to this clip, it was worse than shown in the movie. I appreciate him talking honestly about his PTSD & allowing it to be portrayed in the movie. I wasn't over impressed by the movie though, despite Tom Hanks doing a great job.

Article: http://huff.to/19IwQdW

John

 

[chinita]

I watched it last night here, in Portugal.

Although it was in English with Portuguese subtitles I only understood half of the film as the Arabic, too, was subtitled in Portuguese so I had to 'guess' what the pirates were saying. Silly me!

Will try to see in in UK next month if it is still on.