Reviewing Movies

Once more the dictum, read the book. The 30-minute supplement on the life of Zamperini far outshines the actual movie. It seems to be the fashion these days that a story cannot be told from beginning to end, this one follows the fashion beginning in the middle and telling the story through flashbacks.

It's probably too much to ask of any actor that Jack O'Connell be a match for the real Louis. The actors weight loss is one of the more remarkable aspects of the piece, this is not the husky soldier of the movie '71. However capturing the indomitable fire of the original is beyond him. In the scenes with “the Bird” the actor playing him looks boyish but fails to capture the sadistic delight that must have characterized the original. At least I wasn't convinced.