Unbroken

[prettyxcool]

BAFTA had a members' invite only screening of Unbroken at the Soho Hotel yesterday evening, which I went along to, to encourage BAFTA members to vote for the film. Only a handful of people filled the larger screening room with the comfy red chairs. No drinks or popcorn!

A very powerful account of a true story of the endurance of an US Olympic runner, whose plane in World War II crashed into the Pacific Ocean, then surviving an incredible 47 days adrift, only to be captured by the Japanese and put in a POW camp. A very well made and produced film. Fantastic cinematography, very gripping and some shocking images. Outstanding performances from all the cast, especially Jack O'Connell in the lead role and Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley in HP and Tim in About Time) as Phil, his co-pilot. Other familiar faces as well, Jai Courtney (Four in Divergent), Luke Treadaway (Attack the Block, Cheerful Weather for a Wedding, You Instead). I am sure I recognised some others but cannot place. Fantastic cockpit battle at the beginning of the film. Very impressed by Angeline Jolie's direction. A woman of many talents.

Although one part, which was very predictable, felt fictionalised. The credits at the end confirmed what I felt which said that some characters were added and some sequences were fictionalised.

However, the film reminded me of The Railway Men, just telling the facts as it is, taking no sides, and at the end redemption and forgiveness.

"If you can take it; you can make it"

Out on Christmas Day in the States and Boxing Day here.

Louis Zamperini shares his amazing story in his own words /peoplem.ag/TDf2t2V

8/10

[Betty Botter]

I wasn't expecting much after reading reviews for this film as the critics don't seem to like it, but I thought it was excellent, really moving 8/10 from me.

[McG]

Says this yesterday using a soon to expire voucher. I thought it was a well made and well acted film, made all the better by being a true story. It was harrowing in many parts when he is a POW. This is definitely more of a war story and survival than the life story of Louis Zamperini. He is the focus of the story but the film certainly presents war and conditions that POW's experienced in Japan
I find it difficult to say I enjoyed it given the content but thought it was worth seeing.
Marks 7.5/10

[raj101]

formulaic, interesting, a story well worth telling but ultimately the movie is nothing special. I was expecting far worse in the treatment of POWs, having read about much worse from japan. But hey none of that comes close to dropping an atomic bomb on a city, hanging racial groups in the streets of America and even trying to steal the Chinese oil before the Japanese or Russia stole it. The usual "American reversal" nonsense, all americans are cool heroes, all japs are evil mofos. American war cinema continues the vein of misplaced heroic nonsense unashamedly, but told as usual in entertaining enough Hollywood style.

[missgotty]

An amazing true story but not an amazing film for me. I wanted more from it, wanted it to be a great film but it it was just ok.

5/10

[stuartboy]

Rather good I felt, although slightly spoiled by having seen trailer and thus knowing about capture etc. rather than is a shark gonna eat them?
Cookie (from Skins) has been a busy boy this year. He's been in jail (Starred Up), fought a war in N. Ireland ('71) and now another war in Pacific. Again he doesn't fail to disappoint ( if you like that sort of thing) in getting bare and naked! He's becoming something of a Ewan McGregor when it comes to having to get his winky out on screen. Lol.
Great performances all round. Not really sure why they had to cast a bloke from Derby as an Italian-American though. He did pull it off though.

Great to see footage of the real Louie running at the end. Somewhat sadder to see that he just died this year.

An easy 8/10

[RAZORBACK]

Despite not covering any substantially new ground, what it did it did very well and consequently ended up being far better than I was expecting it to be.

Jack O'Connell gave a solid performance in the central role (even though it felt a bit odd that he was portraying a relatively decent person), was ably supported by the other members of the cast and despite a running time of approximately two & a quarter hours it didn't feel like an unnecessarily long viewing experience.

Overall I thought this was a very decent war flavoured biographical drama that did just enough to get an 8/10 from me...