Captain Phillips

Don't think they'll be queuing up to cast him for any romantic lead roles in the near future though [the pirate captain, that is].

I enjoyed this film very tense. Thought Tom Hanks was very good. I read that the pirates in the film were drawn from a Somali community living in some big city in America, can't remember which one, and had never acted before. They were remarkably good.

I still think that, of films of that ilk, Zero Dark Thirty was the better film. But Tom Hanks will get an Oscar for this film, and he certainly deserves it. The pirate captain was brilliant also.Both films brought me as close as I wil ever get to those situations. Much as I loved seeing Edinburgh in Sunshine on Leith it wasn't gritty enough for me [I think I have to suffer when I go to the cinema ].

I thought it was excellent and actually showed how the pirates themselves were victims with no choice in what they did. Also Tom Hanks was brilliant, particularly after he was rescued. He really looked in shock. It is certainly not the usual American - goodies and baddies - type of film.No triumphalism. Really enjoyed it.

I read that some people felt seasick watching Captain Phillips . Seeing Philomena this week, then The Selfish Giant. The Hunger Games part 2 is on soon; can't wait for that!!

I'm going to see Captain Phillips on Wednesday and also later in the week The Butler which hits the cinemas on friday I think,just hoping they live up to expectations as sometimes the best parts of films are the trailers on TV.

Tegan I saw Sunshine over Leith last week and enjoyed it no end. Loved seeing the Art Gallery, the Grassmarket, View from Calton Hill etc. and being able to understand every word. I especially liked the fact that they used one of my mugs, my photo albumn - all sorts of familiar things. It is so unusual to see a film set in MY world with characters just like people I know rather than the seedy, drug and crime world usually portrayed in Scottish cinema.

I have just seen Captain Phillips and thought it a very good film and probably a fairly true version of events. The acting was very good and I thought Tom Hanks showed the stress the man was put through very well indeed. Interesting to see now they pulled out all the stops too.

Going to see it next week; think Tom Hanks is brilliant [Road to Perdition being an all time favourite of mine]. Think any sadness will be balanced by seeing Sunshine on Leith soon afterwards. Went to a talk a few years ago by a Navy chap who told us about how much piracy still goes on [especially round the Caribbean].

Wasn't he married to Princess Anne?