I took my son and his friend to see “Captain Phillips” this afternoon, my cousin’s latest film^*.

Obviously I didn’t want to risk getting thrown out for taking a picture during the film, so this was taken before the film started, in this case part of the Odeon branding stuff that they show before and after the adverts (which, BTW, are pretty rubbish these days).

What a film! In my view, a masterclass in how to build tension. Yes, I know the ending was totally predictable, but it was still very well done. Tom Hanks’ state of shock scenes at the end are so intense and are no doubt deemed worthy of an Oscar by some. I suspect that if the lights had suddenly come on at that point in the film we wouldn’t have seen many dry eyes!

I’ve been wondering why we enjoy films like this and I suppose one thing is that they allow us to go through terrible things vicariously and thus safely. We can experience something of the tension and drama but without the personal danger. A skilful film maker can draw us into the whole experience and make us part of it, pulling us in and enabling us, forcing us even, to share in every emotion. And for the most part I suspect that we’re willing participants.

Or may be we just enjoy a bit of action and escapism on a wet Saturday afternoon!

^* This is, to be honest, a bit of a misleading claim. Paul Greengrass is my step-mother’s nephew, which I suppose makes him my step-cousin, not cousin, if in fact there is such a thing. And I should point out that I’ve never met him and he wouldn’t know me from Adam.^**

^** Isn’t the desire to be linked with someone famous a silly thing? Especially if the six degrees of separation concept is true, because then we’re all connected with lots of famous people already without even trying!