Last night I caught up to Captain Phillips (2013), courtesy of Netflix. I was riveted, didn’t hit the pause button once the entire 2:15 running time. Tom Hanks brings his usual brilliance to the lead, but the real stars are the four men, who had no prior acting experience, in the roles of the Somali pirates. The film is an adaptation of the protagonist’s book: A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, co-written with Stephan Talty. How much of it is true and how much is creative license? I don’t know and don’t care. In the contributors’ comments at IMDb, someone pointed out that Phillips is being sued. He may not have been as heroic as he is in the movie. I expect books and documentaries to be historically accurate, not Hollywood fare. I want films to entertain or move me, preferably both. This is an entertaining film. It is fair to the pirates in that it presents reasons for their actions other than the desire for filthy lucre. The rationales didn't persuade me. I don’t care if they’re poor or if their village is threatened by the powerful thugs who employ them. I want anyone who tries to hijack a ship, or commit any violent crime, to meet a nasty fate. The suspense here, since it is common knowledge that the Captain survived, is the fate of everyone else, the thieves included. One of the best aspects of the work is the depiction of the professionalism of the ship’s crew and the armed forces personnel who rush to the rescue. It is refreshing to see the military in a positive light. Modern auteurs have so often portrayed those who serve negatively. Kudos to director Paul Greengrass, who seems to have the action genre mastered. He was also at the helm of The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), an excellent track record. On a scale of five, I rate Captain Phillips four. The 427 film buffs who rated it at IMDb agree, forging to a consensus of eight of ten.
I was disappointed by the political posts of two friends at Facebook. They were personal. I enjoy those that focus on the foolish policies and comments of leftists, but some people cross the line. The first was a hit on the President, an ugly rumor. The second featured two lists: left wing celebrity high school dropouts, and Republican college graduates. It smacks of the same liberal elitism that considers most of American "fly-over country." I have the utmost respect for what those dropouts accomplished. School isn't for everybody. I hated it myself. I doubt there were many university students more fake than I. My degree is 99% baloney. If I'd been serious about education, I'd have majored in Liberal Arts. Instead I cut corners and cheated. And despite the diploma, my accomplishments pale compared to those of the people on that list.
My thanks to the kind folks who purchased books in both English and Russian today. The highlight of the session was the appearance of Giulia, who used to work at the Exchange. She looked great. She is a mom of two, seven and eight. One is receiving First Communion next week and she has been running around like a crazy person to prepare. She was one of the first readers of Close to the Edge, way back in 2000 or 2001. She has a Kindle. I mentioned that the electronic version of Exchanges is only two bucks. She will recognize many of the players, despite their fictional monikers. Although my batting average in enticing passersby to try my books on Kindle is zero, I fought off the sense of futility and suggested it.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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