Hoping for a lot more...

Rating: 5/10 (21 January 2015)

Unbroken: I could not have higher hopes coming into this film. After seeing one of the most inspiring trailers I have have ever seen, I was expecting one of the most inspiring movies I have ever seen. Sadly, the film came up short. Some moments are inspirational, but a lot of the times the film just stayed on the surface- played it safe. It never really got to the level I was hoping to see. Yes, I know there is no more inspiring real-life story in the world than this one, but that is not the movie, that is what the real Louis Zamperini did. The movie cannot take credit for it. Unbroken is a film that will leave most satisfied enough but with poor directing and screen writing, this film is not a worthy enough picture to be made about the life of Louis Zamperini.
When I asked most people what they love about the movie, most just say "Oh, I thought it was really good, I loved the story." The story is what makes the movie appealing but that is just what the movie is based upon. Its like saying "I loved the movie because I loved the book." If they actually thought about it strictly as a film, they will realize that the movie is not half as good as they have it in their mind. Why do I say this? Mainly because in the moments when the audience is suppose to get that feeling of courage and perseverance, I did not. I did not feel inspired. The first time director, Angelina Jolie, did not fully capture the moment in the film and I kind of fell like she just hoped we would feel inspired because of the story and of some patriotic duty. To make it worse she added in these stupid Hollywood scenes that never even really happened. Why would a the head of a prisoner of war camp ask you to hold a really big piece of wood and if you drop it you die? They don't. That never really happened. Yes, there is a special spot in hell reserved for that man known as "The Bird", but even he would say it would just seem moronic to do that. It was just a cheap trick that the director tried to use in hopes of making the movie stand out amongst other war films.
Alright, alright, enough of that stuff. I still did enjoy a few things about Unbroken. The main being the acting. Jack O'Connell, who plays Louis Zamperini, was the only one in the film throughout the whole thing, and he did a great job at what he had laid out in front of him. I believe he was a little misacted because he looks a little to Irish to play an Italian guy but that is not his fault. What he did with the role was very impressive. If directed better, his performance would have gotten more notice, but still I believe O'Connell shows much promise with this role and I think he might hit it big if he gets the right director. The rest of the cast all did well with the screen time they were given.
Another thing I liked was the parts of the movie that focused on Louis Zamperini's youth. The flashback scenes of him as a kid and during high school were the scenes I feel were directed the best. They really conveyed his early upbringing well with the short amount of time they had to do it. If that kind of directing was continuous throughout the film, it would have been much better. I also liked the relationship between Zamperini and his fellow soldiers. In war, a relationship with your fellow soldiers is what keeps you alive and it is the main reason why you keep fighting. If they added in a few more scenes with this is mind, it would have served the film well.
As you may know, this film takes place largely in a prisoner of war camp and has numerous scenes where the main character is getting tortured. As such, it is definitely not suitable for children and anyone who can't handle that kind of stuff. I recommend you see this film in theaters or on DVD, but you will probably enjoy watching it more at home.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com