Epic (true) story of survival and endurance

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2015)

Epic (true) story of survival and endurance.
The true story of Louis Zamperini. A long-distance runner, he represented the US in the 1936 Olympics. In World War 2 he became a bombardier in a B-24 Liberator in the Pacific. One day, however, his plane is forced to crash land in the ocean and he and the pilot spend over 40 days adrift at sea before the Japanese capture them and send them to a Prisoner of War camp. The camp has a particularly sadistic commander and Zamperini comes in for some particularly vicious treatment, putting his perseverance and endurance to the ultimate test...
Very engaging and compelling movie. Yes, it has been done before (in various forms) - Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, The Railway Man, Paradise Road, Bridge on the River Kwai - but this does not make this movie any less original or unpredictable. Despite its fairly long running time - over 2 1/4 hours - I was engrossed the entire time.
Good special effects and solid direction from Angelina Jolie on her directorial debut.
Good performance from Jack O'Connell in the lead role with solid support from Domnhall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund and Miyavi.
Don't believe all the negative publicity (which seems mostly driven by sexism) - this movie is well worth watching.