A slight disappointment

Rating: 6/10 (2 December 2014)

Unbroken tells the life story of Louis Zamperini, former Olympian turned World War II POW and does so with some grace but ultimately falls victim to its own hype. Angelina Jolie directs this brutal and inspirational story of Zamperini and his struggle to survive in a Japanese POW camp after he is shot down over the Pacific and presumed dead. This story is so inspirational, it will bring tears to your eyes especially with the charisma and precision that Jack O'Connell brings to the role. The issue here is the screenplay. The film focuses so much on the brutality that Zamperini faced that it is hard to remember any other scenes outside of the torture that this man endured. Zamperini is portrayed as a determined, defiant force, challenging his captors at any chance he can. It is mesmerizing to think that this man overcame so many odds and survived so much and we had to wait this long for a film about his life. It is a truly amazing story that deserved a better screenplay that doesn't wallow in strictly the brutality that this man faced. Jolie proves that she can direct her actors and she does this brilliantly. O'Connell is a star in the making, starring in this year's prison drama Starred Up and now with Unbroken, he is an actor with a rage inside of him and he is destined for greatness especially after seeing this film. His performance ranks among the best of the year. The supporting cast includes Garrett Hedlund, Domhnail Gleeson, Jai Courtney and the magnificent Miyavi, each of them deliver fantastic performances. Garrett Hedlund as John Fitzgerald is a huge leap for the supporting actor and proves that he can rise to the occasion to shine. The screenplay written by the brilliant Coen Brothers is a surprising misfire as I said before. It stays on the brutality of the POW camp and struggles to move around POW movie clichès and it doesn't always work especially throughout its two hour plus running time. By the end of the second act, Unbroken loses its steam and becomes somewhat of a talk fest that doesn't mount up to anything remotely thought provoking. Roger Deakins, a frequent Coen brothers collaborator also turns in some lackluster cinematography that, in comparison to his other work, is bottom of the barrel and by the book. It looks more like a Clint Eastwood film with its monochrome look and doesn't do the film justice. Jolie does her best with a script that could have easily had more of a punch but she makes it work and turns in a decent film filled with great performances. Overall, it is a bit disappointing due to the hype that was behind it but, above all else, Jack O'Connell's performance is the perfect way to honor this brave, tough and brilliant man known as Louis Zamperini.