![]() Peter is determined to handle the situation himself, despite warnings from the hostage negotiator not to get involved. "A Hijacking" is more about the emotional and psychological toll the situation takes on the film's key players, namely the cook, Mikkel, one of the hostages on board the ship, and Peter, the CEO of the company that owns the ship, on land. It's at heart a straightforward action movie, with some emotional resonance late in the film to give it some ballast. "Captain Phillips" is all about the logistics of stalling to allow time for military intervention. However, if absolutely forced to choose, I think I would pick "A Hijacking" as the film I enjoyed more. But they're two very different movies about two different scenarios, so I'm not sure comparing them makes much sense. Who knew that Somali pirates would provide such rich subject matter for filmmakers in 2013? "A Hijacking" will invariably be compared to "Captain Phillips" if for no other reason than it came out in the same year and is about a cargo ship being hijacked by Somali pirates. Even their own English-speaking negotiator, for all his claims not to be a pirate like the others, reveals his own duplicity. There are a couple of moments where pirates and hostages almost meet as equals- when the crew are allowed on deck and catch a fish which inspires a feast for all of them- but for most of the film the pirates are potentially murderous 'others' who inspire only fear and hatred. ![]() The film takes place almost entirely in confined spaces- the company's offices, in the ship's cabins or cargo deck with occasional glimpses of the outside sea and the sky. The other lapse from realism is probably the result of the cinematic demand that something has to happen, even in a film where triumph consists of making sure nothing happens. Even then, he accepts his duty to take responsibility for what has happened, even if it is out of his control. Much of the film is a study of this man's moral education and moral courage as he learns to take others' advice, comes close to psychological collapse and finally triumphs, only to have his triumph destroyed by chance. This makes for more drama at the expense of realism, but we have just seen him negotiate a deal that looked impossible with a Japanese company and- coolly impassive though he is- we can accept he is triumphant and thinks he is the best man for the job. rejects the consultant's advice to recruit an outside negotiator. There are only two lapses from exact realism: the C.E.O. ![]() There is an almost obsessive concern for realism- the scenes with the crew and the pirates were filmed on a real freighter- which had itself once been hijacked- off the coast of Somalia the offices of a real shipping company were used the hostage negotiator used as a consultant plays the part of a hostage negotiator. ![]() The two central characters are the ship's cook and the company's C.E.O., who negotiates the crew's release after over four months. A fine realistic- almost documentary- examination of the hijacking of a Danish-owned freighter by Somali pirates. ![]()
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