Unbroken (2014) - Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie's Unbroken tells the incredible true story of Louis Zamerini, an Olympian and war hero, whom along with two other soliders, survived on a raft in the middle of the ocean for 47 days.  At the height of WWII, Louis is one of three crewmen lucky enough to survive, but their nightmare doesn't get much better when they are caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.  A story of perserverance and faith, Jolie's Unbroken is a largely by-the-numbers film that goes through the motions in capturing one man's unbreakable will.  Not a bad film by any means, Unbroken is simply a one trick pony that never shows much ambition when it comes to exploring more complex themes or characterizations.  The film hints at moments of brillance, but it falls into complacency far too often.  The idea of faith and believing in something bigger than oneself is a prominent theme of the film but Unbroken treats it like an afterthought, simply stating it as opposed to really exploring the link between faith and perserverance.  I've always been a fan of Jack O'Connell and Unbroken is another film that showcases his talents, though I'd still argue his performance earlier this year in Starred Up is more impressive.  Angelina Jolie's Unbroken should have been a stronger film, considering how incredible of a story is is, but a strong central performance and great cinematography make the film solid enough.  

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