We don’t have to wait until the holiday season for the Oscar movies to start flowing thick and fast — while “Gravity” is still hogging the conversation and burning up the box office, a different kind of white-knuckle survival story land in theaters today. I’ll be writing more about Paul Greengrass’ “Captain Phillips” later today, but having caught up with it earlier this week at the opening night of the London Film Festival, I was pleased to find the awards talk mostly justified. This is technically immaculate filmmaking, smart and tight and clean as can be: I certainly didn’t feel 134 minutes passing. It boasts some of Tom Hanks’ finest work, with a career-topping final scene that should clinch one of several Oscar nominations for the film, though I’ll be rooting for livewire newcomer Barkhad Abdi to crack a nod too.
We’re curious, however, to know what you think: is the hype justified? Is it an Oscar contender? And if you’ve seen the markedly similar Danish film “A Hijacking” from earlier this year, which one came out on top? Tell us in the comments, and be sure to vote in the poll below.