Unbroken's Release Mere Days Away, So What Are Critics Saying About Angelina Jolie's Beloved Zamperini Biopic?
The reviews are in for Unbroken and the film, directed by Academy Award winning actress Angelina Jolie, has received a mixed reception from critics ahead of its release on Christmas Day in the US and Boxing Day in the UK.
Jack O'Connell stars in Unbroken as Louis Zamperini.
Read More: Angelina Jolie Pays Tribute To Louis Zamperini At Unbroken Movie Opening.
Unbroken stars Jack O'Connell as Olympic athlete Louis Zamperini. Based on a true story, Unbroken follows Zamperini's early life as a small time criminal before he is encouraged to channel his energy into running. Zamperini competed for the US in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and even met Hitler personally.
However, the majority of the film centres on Zamprini's experience during the Second World War. Zamperini became a bombardier when the US declared war on Japan in 1941 and was flying over the Pacific when his plane crashed. He and two other crew members spent 47 days adrift at sea before being picked up by a Japanese ship. He then spent two years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.
The plot certainly has the makings of a war time classic but have the critics approved of Unbroken? Here's a quick rundown of what they're saying:
"It's a difficult story to endure." (Sean O'Connell, Cinema Blend)
Zamperini's harrowing experiences and their portrayal have both appealed to some critics, including Cinema Blend's O'Connell, but seemingly disturbed others. There is an element of violence to Unbroken, which is obvious even from the trailer, as the majority of the film focuses on Zamperini's two years in a PoW camp.
Zamperini came to the attention of one particularly sadistic guard, Mutsuhiro "The Bird" Watanabe (played by Japanese musician Miyavi), and some reviewers have criticised the emphasis on the extent of the brutality conveyed in Unbroken. For instance Mike LaSalle (SF Gate) claimed Jolie "lingers" on the "torments Zamperini suffered". "A good 45 minutes of the movie consists of showing Louis getting beaten up, then healing; getting beaten up, then healing, over and over," LaSalle wrote.
"For many reviewers, the build-up led to a big breakdown when they finally saw it. Unbroken was just... a movie." (Richard Corliss, TIME)
Unbroken has been one of the most widely anticipated and publicised movies of the year and this may not have necessarily ensured its success with critics. Certainly the more publicity the film generates the more likely it is to do well at the Box Office. However, critics were expecting a film of mythic proportions and Corliss, for one, believes 'the Unbroken needle stops at Impressive and doesn't quite rise to Enthralling'.
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Read More: Should Angelina Jolie's Unbroken Still Be Considered An Oscar Contender?
"O'Connell adds some weight to each scene, offering a kick of emotion as well as the charisma that convinces the men around him to draw inspiration from his tenacity." (Rich Cline, Contactmusic.com)
Read Rich Cline's Review Of Unbroken In Full On Contactmusic.com.
O'Connell's performance has been received universal acclaim from critics who have praised the British star for his portrayal of Zamperini's determination in the face of horrific cruelty and suffering. As Michael O'Sullivan (Washington Post) writes "As Louis, the English-Irish actor Jack O'Connell is pretty great, both at evoking the character's suffering and at rendering Louis's adamantine, even impossible, will to survive in the face of great misfortune and cruelty." However, the praise for O'Connell has been short and a comparative footnote in comparison with the tomes seemingly written about Jolie's directing.
"Jolie's a fascinating actress, a fascinating star, and now a film director on whom the jury is out, with worried-face." (Tim Robey, The Telegraph)
Even when she's not on screen Jolie is impossible to ignore as critics have apparently discovered when reviewing Unbroken. A good portion of reviews are taken up with criticising, or occasionally praising, Jolie and comparing Unbroken with her directional debut In the Land of Blood and Honey. The Guardian sums up many of the critics' arguments which concern her departure from more "thoughtful" works such as her debut into more action based, typically 'Hollywood' style films. Following In the Land of Blood and Honey, Jolie "has made a great big, dumb, cornfed WW2 action movie without the first film's attempts at thoughtfulness," Peter Bradshaw (The Guardian) wrote.
Jolie, who recently announced her plans to retire from acting in pursuit of a directing career, has poured her heart into this project as is evident from the numerous interviews she has given recently. Her devotion to Zamperini is evident but, as the NY Times' critic writes, Jolie's "respect for Zamperini's story is evident from the start. By the end, though, the gaze turns reverential and distant as his experiences become more foreign and obscured."
Unbroken is released in US cinemas on Christmas Day and in UK cinemas on Boxing Day.
Watch The Movie Trailer For Unbroken On Contactmusic:
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