Jolie Keeps It Jointed.

Rating: 10/10 (3 February 2016)

Unbroken (2014): Dir: Angelina Jolie / Cast: Jack O'Connell, Domhnall Gleeson, Finn Wittrock, Miyavi, Garrett Hedlund: Heart pounding true story about perseverance under the most dire extremes. Set during World War 2 and regards athlete Louis Zamperini who is part of a troop aboard a bomber plane against Japan. Flashbacks showcase his upbringing from being bullied to stealing to getting into running, thanks to his older brother. During a rescue mission their plane malfunctions and they crash into the ocean. With only three survivors they spend some two months aboard rubber rafts feeding mainly on fish, and at one point, a shark. One of them passes away and the two remaining are discovered by Japanese soldiers and put in a POW camp. The highlights here is the beatings Zamperini receives at the hands of Mutsuhiro Watanabe who is also known as "The Bird." His aim is to break Zamperini's spirit but is constantly insulted at the resilience. This is not always easy to watch but Angelina Jolie allows viewers to sense what a POW camp can be like as well as the threat of hunger when stranded at sea. The real Zamperini passed away in 2014 and apparently ran in the Olympics in Japan even as old as eighty. He chose to forgive his oppressors and sought union with Japan. It is noted, however that Watanabe refused to accept his forgiveness. With strong acting and a harrowing productions of dropping bombs and air fights, Jolie makes this a passion project of extreme oppression overthrown by an Olympic winner whose first victory was remaining unbroken and choosing to forgive. Score: 10 / 10