I attended an advanced screening of this film. All opinions are my own.

“Academy Award (R) winner Angelina Jolie directs and produces Unbroken, an epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis “Louie” Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII-only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand’s (“Seabiscuit: An American Legend”) enormously popular book, Unbroken brings to the big screen Zamperini’s unbelievable and inspiring true story about the resilient power of the human spirit. Starring alongside O’Connell, Gleeson and Wittrock are Garrett Hedlund and John Magaro as fellow POWs who find an unexpected camaraderie during their internment, Alex Russell as Zamperini’s brother, Pete, and in his English-language feature debut, Japanese actor Miyavi as the brutal camp guard known only to the men as “The Bird.” -Official Website

I have been excited to see Unbroken. I have heard amazing things about the book by Laura Hillenbrand and also I love the true story behind it. Although it is a sad story to watch, Unbroken is also an inspirational film about never giving up and of determination.

I was really impressed with how Angelina Jolie did in directing this film. She makes some very smart visual choices. I think her experience as an actress helps her in making smart directing decisions in the movie. I also know that she was really invested in this film and you can tell that she really dedicated herself to directing this movie.

The acting was great in this film from everyone especially from Jack O’Connell. This movie was definitely on his shoulders and I think he portrays the bravery and resilience of Louis Zamperini. Through all his tough situations, you are cheering for his character.

At the end, I liked how the film takes time to tell and show more of the real Louis Zamperini. He really was an inspirational man.

This movie deserves it PG-13 rating. It has violence and some nudity. I think this movie would be appropriate for older teenagers to see but I would leave the little ones home.

I really liked Unbroken and will be telling my friends and relatives to see it this Christmas!