Captain Phillips: Excellent is the word

The story of modern-day piracy made headlines in early April 2009: how just four Somali pirates armed with machine guns boarded the Maersk Alabama, and held it to ransom off the coast of Africa. The container ship, manned by Captain Richard Phillips and 20 crew members, had on board hundreds of tonnes of cargo but not a single weapon.

Director Paul Greengrass’ powerful film Captain Phillips is based on the eventual book about the event, A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea.

The film opens with a shorthand but effective look into the lives of the adversaries who will meet aboard the Maersk Alabama — on one hand is veteran Captain Phillips, a caring family man at home who runs a tight ship at work; on the other, are the impoverished, disempowered Somalis who have little to lose when handed machine guns, motorboats and a plan to board a western ship.

Greengrass keeps the action going; we move very swiftly to the Captain boarding the ship, carrying out a security drill and the Somalis attacking. The director’s handheld camera technique — used to such good effect in the two Bourne films — gives immediacy and plausibility to the situation.

As do his intelligent casting choices — actors who say everything that needs to be said, just by showing up on screen, whether it’s Max Martini as the SEAL Commander or Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips. While not a particular Hanks fan, he does exude dependability, decency and the heroism inherent in everyman, seemingly just by playing himself.

And then there’s Barkhad Abdi, a Somali-born immigrant to America who plays Muse, the unofficial leader among the four Somalis. The actor in his debut role scorches the screen with his ravaged frame and razor sharp cheekbones; the force of his personality forces you to acknowledge both his desperate hunger and an odd sense of compassion.

Greengrass finds clever solutions to the essential problem of telling a story whose outcomes are known — he gives you detail, but more importantly, another perspective. The crew members are seen eating full breakfasts on board the ship whose cargo included food aid for African countries. By contrast, all that the four Somalis are ever seen consuming is khat, the plant said to generate excitement and depress appetite.

Provocative visual imbalances are set up, such as the might of the American Navy looming up high against the miniscule lifeboat carrying the Somalis and their hostage.

The film does not condone the act of piracy, but it does make you think about the choices open to the Somalis in a land where basic survival is the aspirational goal. We are asked to reconsider the roles of attacker and victim in today’s globalised world.

Recent news stories have questioned the portrayal of the filmic Captain Phillips; his real-life crew members have alleged that his heroism is a lie. While this may disappoint many, it should not detract from the excellence of Greengrass’ film, which is contemporary thriller, political statement and documentary all rolled into a satisfying and gripping whole.

Genre: Drama

Director: Paul Greengrass

Cast: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Max Martini

Storyline: Gripping dramatisation of the true-life story of how four Somalis pirates boarded an American cargo ship in April 2009.

Bottomline: Everything that recent instalments of Pirates of the Caribbean are not. And then some.

Keywords: Captain Phillips, Captain Phillips movie review, Tom Hanks

Breaking Bad finale: our reviews

As Breaking Bad drew to a close on Monday, Telegraph writers share their thoughts on the final of Vince Gilligan's masterful series.

It was a shame that Jesse had a bit-part in Felina, but it was right of Vince Gilligan to grant him freedom. Breaking Bad's moral compass has always been its strength: nodded to, in fittingly bleak humour, by Jesse's former sidekicks Badger and Skinny Pete ("this feels a bit shady") after posing as hit-men for Walt. Walt meets his comeuppance, probably a happier one than he deserves, his estranged wife fully in the know that his destruction was a selfish one. My favourite bit? That smile on his dying face and Badfinger's ode to Baby Blue (meth, what else?) bidding the show farewell.

I confess I wanted an emotional leavetaking from this episode that I didn't quite get. The final season of eight episodes had worked so hard to grind out the emotional reality underlying its events, the sense that this is how it all comes down for these characters. But for me, the finale strained credibility throughout.

My main difficulty was with Walt and Jesse. The latter had been on his way to Alaska until he realised that Walt had poisoned Brock. The events that sprang from that realisation had led to Walt giving him up to the Nazis to be tortured, him being used as a slave, the murder of Andrea, whom he had tried so hard to protect, and the knowledge that Walt had watched the girl he loved choke to death, and then used that fact to hurt him him as much as he possibly could at the point where Jesse could expect only to be killed. For me, the final nod between the two felt empty.

 Patrick Smith: "clever and riveting"

It was a satisfying conclusion – a far happier one than I was expecting given the overwhelming bleakness of the fifth season. There was no ambiguity, no unfinished business – all the loose ends were tied up neatly, if a little too conveniently. The western-style climax, with the M60, was by turns clever and riveting. Breaking Bad, I will miss you.

 Martin Chilton: "Few fans would have had the stomach to see Walt perish alone"

When I interviewed Vince Gilligan in September 2012, he said: "I do feel like I have been keeping Walter White and his mind too close at hand. The world seems a more dangerous and frightening place. I'm hoping that feeling goes when the show is finally ended."

Gilligan's finale episode was a satisfying ones for fans and Walt sympathisers: there were cameos for Skinny Pete and Badger; Walt Jr, Skyler and baby Holly got to keep all the drug millions in a sleight of hand way that disguised the dubious morality; Lydia, the ghastly corporate face of drug dealing, died a slow, painful Ricin death; the nasty Neo-Nazis were wiped out in a 'Gun Fight at the O.K. Corral' way (with cool modern weaponry); creepy Todd was choked to death by Jesse Pinkman – who was let out of purgatory and allowed to remind us, in the flashback to the carpentry scene, that he once had had an unspoiled soul.

And Walt was partly redeemed. He may have lost his family but he was able to die next to his beloved meth cooking utensils, having done (sort of) right by Jesse finally. Who cares about all the hapless victims, such as poor old agent Gomez and the young boy Drew, who died as a consequence of his megalomania? Few fans would have had the stomach to see Walt perish alone in a freezing cabin after a game of solitaire.

So Heisenberg hats off to a coherent, riveting, conclusion. But it wasn't the cold-eyed Breaking Bad we've seen. The world where Walt can't manipulate everything to fall in place, and where Todd survives, is the scarier one for the viewer and, clearly, for Gilligan too.

 Catherine Gee: "a mature, controlled ending"

After the high action pre-climax of Ozymandias, Vince Gilligan gave us a mature, controlled ending. That's not to say it wasn't exciting; the episode still contained the required elements of Walt's devious plans, both strained and restrained emotion and cleverly executed bursts of violence and science. Walt's silent goodbyes to his children were heart-rending. All I could have asked for was a few more minutes of interaction between Jesse and Walt before they parted for good.

 Benjamin Secher: "Walt’s enduring punishment"

Is it problematic that the final episode of Breaking Bad ran like clockwork? Was Walt let off too lightly, his final schemes too readily indulged – by being allowed to engineer the future financial security of his family, the defeat of Uncle Jack's gang, the death of Lydia, the freedom from prosecution of Skyler and the humiliation of the Schwartzes. No, to think that way is to give too little weight to the irreparable relationship with his son that Walt leaves behind. The child who bears his name, this future Walter White, will remember his father, unforgivingly, as a bad man who betrayed his family. That is Walt’s enduring punishment.

But, really, the satisfaction this finale offered was about resolution not retribution for Walt. In his acknowledgement to Skyler that “I did it for me”, he finally recognised that the darkest parts of his personality that he had, until now, attributed to Heisenberg, were in fact just an aspect of himself. When the clock stopped, the man lying dead on the floor of the laboratory (a lab in which his former pupil had at last created crystal meth of a purity befitting his mentor) was not Heisenberg but Mr White, the teacher who had learnt his lesson.

 Ross Jones: "a beautiful-but-deadly package"

For those of us who never quite bought into the notion of Walt as an irredeemable villain, this was a perfect ending: fun, emotional, and just. It was as if he’d finally found a way to combine Heisenberg’s ruthless ingenuity with Walter White’s humanity in one beautiful-but-deadly package. His final goodbye to Holly was heartbreaking; his talk with Skyler was bracingly honest; his use of laser pointers to scare the bejeezus out of Gretchen and Elliott was hilarious; and the machine gun in the trunk was audacious and demented in a way this series hasn’t been in ages. Everyone got what was coming to them, including Walt. But it was bittersweet, too. It left me longing for a whole series of this Walt – forever lurking in the shadows, or hiding behind columns, letting his outsized reputation do the dirty work for him.

 Ben Hazell: "Something crafted to be studied"

The final few episodes of Breaking Bad have all been an ending, from the horrors of Ozymandias, to the snowy desolation of Granite State, to this Felina, where we're returned to backing Walt, despite ourselves, despite all the tidy improbabilities. An ending, delivering on so many promises, rich with theatrical style, dense with reference. Something crafted to be studied, discussed, to bear close scrutiny, a lesson in the wonderful and enabling potential of digital television.

'Rush': Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl capture the fierce James Hunt-Niki Lauda racing rivalry

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On one side there was James Hunt, handsome, hard-partying, devil-may-care British playboy. On the other, Niki Lauda, driven, meticulously prepared workaholic Austrian.

In the 1970s, the fiercely competitive Formula One drivers used their differences and dislike for one another to fuel their amazing racing feats. Director Ron Howard chronicles their rivalry in his new drama “Rush.”

In a nifty stroke of look-alike casting, Chris Hemsworth plays the dashing Hunt, and Daniel Bruhl is the serious Lauda. Howard and screenwriter Peter Morgan, who previously teamed for another based-on-a-true-story film about two men, “Frost/Nixon,” primarily chronicle the 1976 racing season when Hunt vs. Lauda was at its peak.

Lauda was the more accomplished F1 driver; Hunt the scrambling hustler trying to keep up. A terrible accident plays a pivotal role in their lives. I don’t want to give too much away, but be warned that there are some very-hard-to-look-at hospital scenes.

REVIEW

Rush

Who: With Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, Olivia Wilde. Directed by Ron Howard.

Rated: R for sexual content, nudity, language, some disturbing images and brief drug use.

Running time: 123 minutes.

When: Opens today.

Where: Area theaters.

Grade: B+

Racing movies are often a tall order, because it is nearly impossible to capture the speed and precision of the super-fast cars. (Three racing films from my childhood kind of run together in my brain: “Grand Prix” with James Garner, “Winning” with Paul Newman, and “Le Mans” with Steve McQueen. It would be fun to put together a little mini film fest and see which one holds up best.)

Howard and company provide the requisite ultra-close-ups of piston-popping machines and gear-shifting drivers, but the races are not especially compelling. The real focus is on how these two men pushed each other.

The charismatic Hemsworth and the bookish Bruhl are perfectly cast as Hunt and Lauda. Hunt has more distractions off the track – he married model Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde), who later ran off with Richard Burton – but Lauda is the more interesting character. He is laser-focused on winning, oblivious to the world around him at times. Hunt wants to win, too, but he wants to indulge in a lot of bonus fun, and booze, and women.

“Rush” is an intriguing double character study about who you are vs. who you become when you climb into that car and press the accelerator.

Trophy Wife Review: Malin Akerman Shines in ABC's New Family Comedy

Family sitcoms, thy are the bread and butter of ABC.

Seriously, aside from hot docs and well-dressed anti-heroines (Scandal's Olivia Pope and Revenge's Emily Thorne come to mind), the network loves it some dysfunctional families. With Modern Family, Suburgatory and The Middle already on the air for several seasons a piece, almost all of the network's new fall offerings in the comedic department focus on unusual families. Tonight, two of them make their series debut: The Goldbergs, an '80s sitcom that we're totally feelin', and Trophy Wife, which takes the award for worst title away from Cougar Town (a former ABC show that has since moved to TBS).

But like Cougar Town, is Trophy Wife way better than its pigeonholing title? Or does it play right into its name, giving viewers a run-of-the-mill tale of a hot woman who finds herself with a built-in family after falling for a twice-married-and-divorced man? In an effort to help you decide which of the many newbies debuting this fall are worth your time, we're reviewing all of the five network's new series, including ABC's Trophy Wife...

Trophy Wife (CABC)

Premieres: Tuesday, Sept. 24, 9:30 p.m.

Time-Slot Competition: NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS), The Mindy Project (FOX) Supernatural (The CW), The Voice (NBC)

Cast: Malin Akerman, Bradley Whitford, Michaela Watkins, Natalie Morales, Ryan Lee, Bailee Madison and Marcia Gay Harden

Status: We've seen the original pilot episode, which doesn't feature Madison

You thought your family was quirky? We're guessing they, and any other family you've ever met, are quite as quirky as the one reformed party girl Kate (a charming beyond belief Malin Akerman) finds herself the matriarch of in Trophy Wife, which is loosely based on creator Sarah Haskin's life. After falling in love with Pete (Whitford, solid as always), an older businessman, Kate's life now includes dealing with his two very-different ex-wives, and (attempting to) step-parenting his three children, including an adopted Asian-American boy. But Kate hasn't completely let her old partying ways behind as BFF Meg (Morales), who is still single and loving it, is around to keep things interesting.

Do we need to go on? You know exactly where this one is going and yet it works for the most part. 

Sure, there's a lot going on, perhaps too much in the premiere, as Trophy Wife must establish the dynamics between Pete and the three women in his life, as well as between the three women, which it pulls off fairly well. Diana (Gay Harden) is Pete's first ex-wife, a no-nonsense former Olympian who seems to always be waiting for Kate to mess up, and his second ex-wife Jackie (Watkins, whose character doesn't feel fully formed yet) is a hippie who still has a key to the house. Boundaries? Not in this family. We're having a hard time seeing how Pete was ever married to all three of these very different women, but it is fun watching Pete interact with them all individually and as a group.

As if the two disapproving ex-wives weren't enough for Kate to contend with in the pilot, she also must face off with a sullen step-daughter with a penchant for filling water bottles with vodka and taking them to school and a potentially lovestruck stepson, who may be harboring inappropriate feelings for his father's new wife. Cue wacky, if slightly predictable, hijinks!

But Akerman is a delight as the in-over-her-head Kate, so much so that her work here almost washes the bitter aftertaste of her monster of a role as Katherine Heigl's sister in 27 Dresses out of our brains. (She cut up their mother's wedding dress!) The fact that she and Whitford share an easy chemistry (Kate and Pete's meet-cute-turned-disaster is a highlight) is just icing on the cake.

Verdict: DVR. We think this series has a lot of potential...and a lot of stiff competition at 9:30 on Tuesday night.

'Enough Said' review: James Gandolfini's bittersweet romance

Start saying goodbye. Again.

James Gandolfini had a part in the thriller "Animal Rescue," due for release next year. And did a pilot for a TV series called "Criminal Justice," which HBO has said it will never air (although I'm sure eventually it will show up somewhere, somehow).

But that's it. And so, in many ways, the real career finale is the romantic comedy "Enough Said."

The quick, dismissive phrase sounds like something that came out of Tony Soprano's mouth a thousand times. But this movie isn't about the mob. Instead, it's about something we didn't often see Gandolfini play — a self-deprecating, sensitive, funny and socially uncertain guy.

In other words, himself.

Nicole Holofcener's bittersweet film casts Gandolfini as a chunky middle-aged man, living in Los Angeles and pretty much through with love. He meets Julia Louis-Dreyfus at a big party, and they find they have a few things in common.

They're both divorced. They both have 18-year-old daughters. And they both attracted to absolutely nobody at this party.

Except, things change.

Then things get complicated. I don't want to give too much away (and frankly, be warned — some of the trailers, although not the clip I chose here, do) but soon into the relationship, Louis-Dreyfus begins doubting herself and her own feelings.

Other people think this guy's fat, awkward, a loser. Shouldn't she?

In some ways, it's a switch on "Marty" — a part Gandolfini could have, should have done — in which people let a friend start to talk them out of a good thing, just because that friend is in a bad place.

Louis-Dreyfus is fun in the part, even if her awkwardness and social faux-pas feel awfully Elaine-ish (it's her first movie since the '90s). Catherine Keener and Toni Collette are predictably terrific as two of Louis-Dreyfus' friends, and Holofcener once again gently skewers the over-privileged classes.

She's a smart, sly director — "Walking and Talking," "Lovely & Amazing," "Friends With Money," "Please Give" — who doesn't get quite the attention she deserves, with some critics carping about her focus on the upper-class. But this is her material, just as it is Woody Allen's, and Holofcener has always had a clearer eye about their flaws and foibles.

But she's never the star of her movies, and she wouldn't be the star here — even if Gandolfini hadn't so abruptly, prematurely passed. And now, to tell the truth, his death leaves a slight shadow over the comedy - particularly when characters nag him about his weight and health habits.

Yet isn't it wonderful to see him again, and remember his talents — the mournful glances, the wordless pauses. To notice how he could twist things — using his bulk, not in the usual intimidating way, but for pure comedy, a genre he'd begun to get more of, and enthusiastically embrace.

And isn't it awful that it's a pleasure we're never going to have again.

Ratings note: The film contains strong language, sexual situation and substance abuse.

Foursquare makes check-ins a snap

The good: Foursquare makes it easy to check in at locations, share quick tips, and even earn special deals around town. The Home screen offers a nice mix of nearby hot spots and friends' activity.

The bad: Without a fixed menu bar, Foursquare's interface can be confusing and difficult to navigate. There's no sharing to Google+ and no posting quick tips simultaneously with check-in.

The bottom line: Even with its flawed interface, the official Foursquare app is likely the best way to stay active on the popular social network while on the go.

With the Foursquare app for Android, you can check in to all your hangouts and keep tabs on friends who do the same. It's a great way to discover new locations while on the go, and possibly earn discounts and special deals at participating businesses that have partnered with the service. What's more, the app provides a great way to get (and give) short pieces of advice about a particular hotspot.

Once you're on your home screen, you'll notice an activity feed front and center, a check-in button on bottom, a search bar up top, and a few recommendations. Meanwhile, additional navigation options are tucked into the menu on the left. While most of this seems straightforward, my issue is that the navigation isn't always easy to access. In fact, depending on where you are in the app, you may have to hit the Back button several times just to get home, and give the screen one more tap to pull out the navigation menu. With that in mind, I think Foursquare could have benefited from a fixed menu or at the very least a fixed Home button.

Discovering hot spots

If you're looking to discover new hot spots around town, Foursquare offers a number of ways to do. The most obvious ways are to run a search or tap around in the app's Browse menu, where businesses are broken down into categories. Whichever direction you choose, you'll be able to narrow your search to a specific neighborhood and sort your results by several criteria, including Distance, Price, Open Now, Offering Specials, and others. These tools can be a big help, no matter what sort of business you're looking for.

Similarly to Yelp, business pages on Foursquare contain a lot of useful information, including hours, address, menus, phone numbers, and photos. What you won't find on these pages, though, are lengthy reviews. Instead, Foursquare shows you check-in history and a list of quick tips left by other Foursquare-using patrons. As well, you can leave your own tip directly on the page, or give a business a vote of Like or Dislike. My only problem with this page is that there's no way to sort tips by date. As of now, they can only be arranged by number of Like votes received.

Lists are another important part of the Foursquare experience, as they let you see how others might be categorizing businesses. If you poke around the network, you'll likely find user-created lists of the city's best burgers or swankiest bars. And of course, you can create your own lists too.

Check-ins

Perhaps the feature that Foursquare is best known for is check-ins. So, as expected, the mobile app makes it easy with an intuitive interface for broadcasting your location. The easiest way to do this is to hit the floating check-in button at the bottom of the Home screen. This automatically brings up your location and a number of popular and frequently visited sites in the area. If your target is on the list, you can simply tap it and jump right to the check-in screen. Otherwise, you'll have to run a search.