We Don't Need Two Metaphors

After his cargo ship is boarded by Somali pirates, Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) enters into a battle of bravado and patience with the pirate captain Muse (Barkhad Abdi). Phillips wants to protect his crew, but Muse isn't leaving until his pockets are filled with riches. It should come as no surprise to hear that a new Paul Greengrass film is nail-bitingly tense. The tension builds from the moment Hanks' Captain Phillips lands in Oman (after a brief setup back in the USA, more on that later) and steps on board the Maersk Alabama. Whilst the action may never reach the heights of the frantic Tangier chase in The Bourne Ultimatum or the destructive car chase at the end of The Bourne Supremacy, the sense of jeopardy never lets up. Even in the film's quieter moments, there's an ever present restlessness that gives greater relevance to every word that Phillips chooses to utter.