Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand's 2010 bestseller, this epic survival story follows Olympian and WWII war hero Louis “Louie” Zamperini (Jack O'Connell), beginning with Zamperini's bomber crashing into the Pacific Ocean. He and two other survivors spend 47 days adrift before they are rescued by the Japanese and sent to POW camps, where cocky, grimly determined Zamperini is singled out for relentlessly brutal torture by cruel imperious camp commander Mutsuhiro Watanabe (Takamasa Ishihara, aka singer Miyavi), who wields a bamboo cane. Scattered throughout are flashbacks to Louie's rough childhood and rebellious youth as a high school, college, and Olympic runner. Joel and Ethan Coen adapted Hillenbrand's book, working with director-producer Angelina Jolie, who also enlisted the Coens' cinematographer, Roger Deakins, and French composer Alexandre Desplat (Oscar-nominated for this score). The solemn weight of this vivid (if overly long) drama rests directly on O'Connell, who convincingly embodies Zamperini's indomitable integrity. Also featuring Garrett Hedlund, Domhnall Gleeson, and Finn Wittrock as Zamperini's courageous cohorts, this story had one of the longest gestation periods in Hollywood history, taking 57 years to bring to the screen (along the way, various actors including Tony Curtis and Nicolas Cage were attached to the lead role). A powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit, this is highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a featurette on “The Real Louis Zamperini” (30 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are “making-of” featurettes (28 min.), deleted scenes (16 min.), a “Prison Camp Theater: Cinderella” segment (7 min.), “Louis' Path to Forgiveness” follow-up (7 min.), a “Cast and Crew Concert” featuring singer-songwriter Miyavi (8 min.), and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for this stirring biographical drama.] (S. Granger)
Unbroken
Universal, 138 min., PG-13, DVD: $29.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $34.98, Mar. 24 Volume 30, Issue 2
Unbroken
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