CREW CLAIMS CAPTAIN NOT SO HEROIC

A new Hollywood film starring Tom Hanks as the ship captain who heroically volunteered as a hostage to save the lives of his crew from Somali pirates is already gaining glowing reviews and Oscar tips. But a $50 million lawsuit lodged by several of his men claims that in real-life Captain Richard Phillips was no hero but instead risked their lives as he sailed his cargo vessel into pirate-infested waters. Captain Phillips, which hits theatres Thursday night, is based on his account of the 2009 attack on the Maersk Alabama cargo ship. The standoff ended when U.S. navy marksmen shot dead the pirates who were holding the 58-year-old captain captive on a small craft. Captain Phillips returned home to a hero’s welcome and his courage was lauded by President Barack Obama as “a model for all Americans”. But nearly half the 20 crew members are suing the ship’s owner and operator in a case that will be heard by an Alabama court in December. They claim that rather than saving their lives, Captain Phillips’s actions put them at risk. The lawsuit claims that he ignored warnings from the U.S. and British navies to remain at least 600 miles offshore and was less than 300 miles off the Somali coast when the pirates attacked. In the court documents, the crewmen argue that they were “knowingly, intentionally and wilfully” sent into pirate territory to save costs for the company. Captain Phillips did not respond to a request for comment and Sony Pictures, the maker of the film, has not commented on his portrayal. Maersk said that the lawsuits “are without merit”.