A remarkable POW story of survival packaged into a fine Sunday matinée flick.

Rating: 7/10 (7 January 2015)

Unbroken, Angelina Jolie's second outing as feature director (her third, By the Sea is released later this year) is a rewarding, engaging delve into the remarkable true story of Louis Zamperini; trouble maker, Olympian, airman, prisoner of war, survivor
Growing up on the breadline in Orlean, New York, Zamperini (Jack O'Connell), a son of Italian immigrants seems destined for a life in trouble until, running away from it one day, his talent for speed is discovered. Several years later, with one Olympics under his belt, WWII breaks out and Zamperini finds himself in the Pacific fighting the Japanese. When their aeroplane plunges into the sea, Zamperini and the other airmen battle the ravages of the sea to survive 47 harrowing days only to be rescued and taken to a Japanese POW camp. The camp commander, Corporal Watanabe (Takamasa Ishihara), makes it his personal mission to make life both incredibly painful and short for Zamperini but the athlete refuses to be broken.
The trailer for Unbroken was enough to put it on my 'Must See' list but, barely ten minutes in, it had the feel of a Sunday matinée and not a challenging look at the harsh realities of war. It showed every sign of being another insipid, failed attempt to tug at the heartstrings, like last year's disappointing Japanese POW flick, The Railway Man.
My concerns were (mostly) unfounded. Certainly it is sanitized, it pulls the punches and feels a little too gentle far too often. Unbroken has the sense of being directed by a concerned, caring mother rather than a tough, headstrong director. If that is how you approach Unbroken, everything will be good in your world. Jolie has crafted a fine film out of a remarkable story that is not too gritty a viewing experience if you wish to take granddad along or want to give the children an education that is only moderately shocking to the innocent.
Jolie has certainly produced a far more affecting and valuable film than George Lucas did with Red Tails. Her vision is grand and the sets and vistas give Unbroken a dark warmth. There are moments that, even after the event, are easy to pick out as potentially iconic: the scene with Zamperini raising the sleeper above his head, the aerial shot of the POWs bathing and resembling rats in a vast tank of water. Wonderful!
As Unbroken weaves its tale, segueing between times to complete Zamerpini's story, it becomes surprisingly moving at times, more for the horrors it suggests than actually depicts, but that's no bad thing. Andy Dufresne's first rape in The Shawshank Redemption was horrific and Darabont didn't show a thing!
While débutant Ishihara struggles to convince us at times, O'Connell carries the film with a gentle strength. There's nothing here to make one sit bolt upright and pour accolades over him, but his performance suits the overall feel of Unbroken. Perhaps more eye-catching is Domhnall Gleeson's performance as Phil, Zamperini's fellow airman and POW. It is yet another solid entry on a CV that suggests he will be around as long and as effectively as his father, Brendan.
Unbroken remains a 'bunk off work day' film rather than one to devote to a precious evening, but it is still an enjoyable way to remember what people fought for, even if it doesn't trouble the emotions as much as it should.
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