"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)

Unbroken
O'Connell's performance in Unbroken has been widely praised.

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: