Director: Angelina Jolie
Cast: Jack O’Connell, Domhnall Gleeson, Jai Courtney, Takamasa Ishihara
Certification:12A
Running Time: 137 minutes
Synopsis: After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis Zamperini spends a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he’s caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp…
With the festive season well and truly here Sony exec Scott Rudin must of thought it appropriate to give that Angelina bird a good roasting, only to have his own goose cooked thanks to an embarrassing press leak. Despite the ‘brat-gate’ email scandal turning all involved cheek’s rosier than Santa’s, THN is sure that the old adage any publicity is good publicity (try telling that to Rogen and Franco right now) and will no doubt see droves of Team Jolie supporters flock to the multiplexes this Boxing Day to see the actor’s third directorial feature; UNBROKEN. However if you’ve gobbled your fill of turkey at Christmas lunch, you may not have enough room for this second helping.
Based on Laura Hillenbrand’s book UNBROKEN tells the remarkable true life story of Olympian turned POW Louis Zamperini. Oscar check list at the ready?Ahem. It’s period piece, check, recounting the indescribable trials faced by an underdog, check, triumph of the human spirit over adversity and injustice, check, directed by queen of the A-list, Hollywood darling AND penned by the Coen Brothers! CHECK! Beggars belief that it could be anything but fantastic, but sadly not. The real problem with UNBROKEN is it’s tone. The rich subject matter is completely fumbled turning what could have been a grueling and cathartic journey into a lame disney-esque parable. Chock full with clunky life mantras and faux sepia flashback sequences there is a distinct made for TV feel about the whole affair. Given the scope of the film’s setting it’s disappointing to not see Jolie be a little more creative with aerial action set pieces and potential for scenic sweeping vistas. Rather the direction remains static and limited in vision throughout.
Rising star Jack O’Connell (STARRED UP) plays Zamperini but struggles to attach the emotional gravity to character’s situation, seeming ever like the bright eyed disobedient boy we meet at the film’s start, rather than the wizened and tormented man we might expect him to become, the fact his hair remains well coiffed throughout also lends to our disbelief. Domhnall Gleeson is a pleasure as ever but is underused and the film’s lead antagonist played by Takamassa Ishihara is lost due to motivational (and at times sexual) ambiguity. The rest of the cast fade in to the background with no help from a script that shows little of the Coen’s usual spark.
Angelina Jolie’s massive fame makes her an easy target for denegration, but sadly UNBROKEN’s failures lie squarely at her feet. To have taken such an immense story and rendered it as impotent as it is was far more of a surprise than THN expected. Throughout there is an emotional distance from the characters and not enough time is taken to explore their psychological mindset, the film’s set-up is far too corny and the subsequent horrors experienced lack impact and aren’t visceral enough given the settings. Overall this is a breezy and forgettable tale of a story that deserved far better. They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – we say if it’s UNBROKEN, don’t see it.
[usr=2] UNBROKEN is out now in UK cinemas.
