Captain Phillips ****

Many in the audience may feel they know the story of "Captain Phillips" already: how a brave and unarmed captain kept his head and his crew safe in the first highjacking of an American cargo ship in two hundred years. But when we see the Maersk Alabama boarded by Somali pirates in 2009, as with "Argo," it's a tribute to the filmmaker's art when we feel suspense even when we know the outcome.

The direction by Paul Greenglass is quite clear as he lays out the two worlds that intersect here. The poor fishing village living in fear of its local war lord could not be more different from the tightly organized world of modern cargo shipping, ultimately backed up by an awesome show of force, technology, and skill from the U.S. Navy. The depiction of these worlds shows the wisdom of choosing Greenglass ("Bourne Supremacy," "Bourne Ultimatum") for this assignment.

And as with "Beasts of the Southern Wild," it's a rare treat to see raw, touching, and totally believable performances by first-time actors. The pirates, chosen from a general casting call in the Somali community of Minneapolis, deliver a feeling of authenticity to the improvisational and desperation-driven attack. Barkhad Abdi as the leader Muse is a standout.

But the movie belongs to Tom Hanks. On screen for most of the time, Hanks delivers a portrait of a grounded professional in extraordinary circumstances who uses his wits and guile to keep going when the practiced procedures run aground. From the coolest calculator to the halting, blubbering shamble in shock at the end, Hanks' Captain Phillips is a man we can understand and feel with.