Review: Angelina Jolie's WWII Drama 'Unbroken' starring Jack O'Connell

Louis Zamperini had the kind of extraordinary life Hollywood craves telling. Especially during this time of year his "triumph of the human spirit" would surely draw the attention of Academy voters and we've heard the drumbeat for both rising star Jack O'Connell and celebrity director Angelina Jolie long before the film hits theaters. Zamperini's story, one that sees him excel in the sports arena and on the field of battle, has all of the ingredients to be uplift and inspire. But that's all they are; ingredients.  Put together in a handsome, jumbled and overlong package, Unbroken looks great but fails to have the impact Zamperini's feats deserve.

Based on Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling novel, Unbroken is almost too respectful of its subject. He's surely deserving, but by trying to cram in multiple phases of his pre-athletic life to his Olympic triumphs to his combat exploits, and finally to his time as a POW, there's simply too much going on to  hold together. Also consider that the narrative, most recently penned by the Coen Brothers, bounces around chronologically with his athletic prowess as the emotional touchstone. Whatever encouragements and lessons he learned giving him the strength to endure later hardships. "If you can take it, you can make it."  Functionally it works; you can't help but admire Zamperini but we aren't given enough to separate his story from numerous other movies about the survivors of POW camps.

The film opens with a blistering mid-air sequence in which Zamperini and his B52 bomber team endure enemy gunfire while on an all-important run. As the bomb doors jam and the crew is torn apart by bullets, we see his split second decision-making, courage, and fearlessness all in one stunning act of bravery. This is a long stretch from the petty criminal he was as a youth before discovering he was just a little bit faster than everyone else. Running helped turn Zamperini's life around, becoming a well-respected man who raced for America in the 1936 Olympics. There would have been more races if it weren't for WWII getting in the way. When their bomber is shot down over the ocean, Zamperini, pilot Russell Phillips (Domhnall Gleeson), and another spend a starving, sunbaked 47 days floating in a dingy. Let's just say it's not as exciting as Life of Pi or as gripping as All is Lost.  You keep hoping for a CGI tiger to pop up and just eat them already.

Their ordeal, and ours, takes a more sadistic turn when the survivors are captured by the Japanese and placed in a prison camp run by a brutal guard nicknamed "The Bird" (Japanese pop star Miyavi). He takes a special kind of pleasure in torturing the Olympian, beating him just for looking in his general direction. Then he beats him some more for not looking. The Bird is like the grown-up version of the kid who enjoyed pulling legs off of bugs. The beatings get worse, and Zamperini bravely endures them while fulfilling his patriotic duty. When given the chance to publicly denounce the United States he refuses. He only begins to waver when the punishments start affecting the other men. Even then he remains "unbroken", but we've long since endured enough of Zamperini's suffering to throw in the towel ten times over.

Jolie's sophomore effort is a marvel of technical efficiency. Much like her impressive directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, she shows a sure hand for the broad dramatic sweep of war but struggles with the more intimate moments. Maybe there were too many hands involved on the screenplay but clunky script does her and O'Connell no favors. O'Connell's strangely muted performance doesn't live up to the aggressive promise he showed in Starred Up and '71, and one can't help but think he was miscast in the role. There's something about these specific kinds of movies that just haven't clicked lately. Remember last year's The Railway Man?  The problem lies in idolizing the subject; rounding off any rough edges to present the most heroic, cleanest version possible. Unbroken is still an admirable crowd-pleasing film but Zamperini's story is worthy of so much more than that.

 Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Read More

Sony Hack Reveals Steve Jobs Biopic Madness as Natalie Portman Turns Down a Role

Remember that stench of doom we sensed around Jane Got a Gun earlier this year as it went through a brutal gauntlet of production issues? Well, that's how the forever-developing, troubled Steve Jobs biopic is starting to look. Penned by Aaron Sorkin and to be directed by Danny Boyle, the film was set up at Sony before they got nervous and dropped it, only for Universal to come to the rescue. When a project of this scope gets dumped there's always a bigger story behind it, and thanks to Sony getting hacked we know just how chaotic things were behind the scenes.

We're not going to post hacked emails or anything like that; leave that to the folks over at Gawker who posted a blistering series of conversations between widely despised producer Scott Rudin and Sony chief Amy Pascal. In them we see the bull-headed twosome fighting over everything, but it's Rudin who looks like a total donkey for ripping into Angelina Jolie, calling her a "minimally talented spoiled brat" amongst other scathing insults. What the heck does Jolie have to do with anything? You may recall she and David Fincher, who was originally supposed to direct Jobs, were going to do a massively-budgeted Cleopatra epic. That project never came together and Fincher bounced, but she apparently was still holding out hope earlier this year, only to have Sony dangle the Steve Jobs film in his face. Of course, that didn't work out for Sony, either. Ironically, Rudin refers to Jolie's massive ego but these emails reveal he needs to check himself in a major way.

Meanwhile, the Jobs film is bumping along over at Universal but still has some problems to iron out. Michael Fassbender is set (for now) to star as the tech giant with Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak. Recently Natalie Portman's (coincidentally of Jane Got a Gun!) name was mentioned for the female lead but now Variety says she's turned it down for unspecified reasons. Perhaps she sensed something was wrong, too? Sorkin could be bringing his The Newsroom star Jeff Daniels in to play Apple CEO John Sculley so maybe things aren't all bad. Then again, let's just wait and see if Fassbender makes the start date. If not, Universal could always turn to Tom Cruise, who was sought by Sony out of desperation.

Read More

An Update on 'Wanted 2' Offers Small Glimmer of Hope

Amazing to think that six years have passed since the comic adaptation Wanted helped create a Hollywood superstar in James McAvoy. It also introduced many to the aggressive, action-packed stories of writer Mark Millar, who would bring his comics Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, and Kingsman: The Secret Service to the screen. A sequel to Wanted has been talked about often but without star Angelina Jolie who refused an opportunity to return, the film has never really gotten off the ground. But could that be about to change? Producer Marc Platt certainly thinks so.

Speaking with Comingsoon.net, Platt explains why a sequel has taken so long...

Platt: “We have a script that’s getting pretty good. To do a sequel when it wasn’t really set up for a sequel–one of our main characters dies in it. You don’t want to just retread a similar story, but when we get the script to a certain bar, there will be a sequel. It’s taken a while because it’s challenging, as I said, because we lost a main, main character, so where that James McAvoy character goes now… we have good ideas though. It’s coming along.”

At least he seems confident in McAvoy's return, despite the actor being more in-demand now than he was in 2008. The Jolie thing was an obvious hurdle, though, as her character "Fox" was killed off at the end of the first movie. That didn't stop producers from trying to lure her back.  When that failed, Kristen Stewart's name popped up to play a new female character but that was a long time ago and circumstances have probably changed.

So it's an update but not much of one. We don't know who would be directing or if any other stars would return. What it sounds like to me is that a script for Wanted 2 has been worked on for so long that nobody wants to just give up on it, even though there isn't any clamor a sequel. If this happens it's going to be a good ways off, and the longer it takes the less viable the whole thing becomes.

Read More

New Trailer for Angelina Jolie's 'Unbroken' starring Jack O'Connell

One film that nobody has had a chance to see yet but is expected to make a lot of noise this awards season is Unbroken, the second turn behind the camera for Angelina Jolie. Starring rising star Jack O'Connell (Starred Up), it tells the true story of Olympic athlete and WWII soldier Louis Zamperini. who endured terrible tortures at the hands of the Japanese after his plane was shot down.

The latest trailer maintains the dramatic sweep of the prior ones, this time focusing on the hardships faced by Zamperini and where he found the strength to endure it. While it looks great and the kind of uplifting story Hollywood loves this time of year, what it doesn't need is the overbearing M83 score telling us exactly how inspirational Zamperini's story is. We get it.

Also starring Domhnall Gleeson, Miyavi, Garrett Hedlund, Jai Courtney, and Alex Russell, Unbroken hits theaters on Christmas Day.


Unbroken - Trailer 2 (Universal Pictures) HD. by NewTrailers BOS

Read More

Angelina Jolie to Direct Anti-Poaching Drama, 'Africa'

Angelina Jolie is currently directing her third feature film, By the Sea, in which she'll star alongside her husband Brad Pitt. But her first two features were both well-regarded and centered on true stories. In the Land of Blood and Honey was set during the Bosnian War, and this season's Oscar hopeful Unbroken during WWII. Now she's back with another real-life tale on a subject that's close to her heart.

Jolie is set to direct Africa, a biopic on Kenyan conservationist and archaeologist Richard Leakey. Written by Eric Roth (Forrest Gump), the film will follow Leakey's battle to protect endangered African elephants from poachers in the 1980s. In the '90s Leakey helped form a new political party but ran into trouble with some of the enemies he made during his conservation efforts due to his gruff demeanor.

And the film is sure to look great with Jolie bringing on her Unbroken cinematographer, Roger Deakins. It may be awhile before we see Africa in theaters but it's good to see that Jolie's not sitting around waiting for projects to come to her. She's taken this directing chapter of her career by the horns.

Read More

First Look at Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in 'By the Sea'

After making a well-received directorial debut with In the Land of Blood and Honey, Angelina Jolie finds herself in the Oscar discussion with her follow-up, the WWII drama Unbroken. But it turns out she may be eying some gold next year, too, and she's bringing along new hubby Brad Pitt. Jolie is wrote and is directing By the Sea, which will see her reunited with Pitt on screen for the first time since Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Filming only just began a few days ago, and now EW has released the first images along with a full plot synopsis:

Set in France during the mid-1970s, Jolie plays Vanessa, a former dancer, and Pitt is her husband Roland, an American writer. As they travel the country together, they seem to be growing apart, but when they linger in one quiet, seaside town they begin to draw close to some of its more vibrant inhabitants, such as a local bar/café-keeper (War Horse and A Prophet‘s Niels Arestrup, pictured below) and hotel owner (Richard Bohringer, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover.)

The most glamorous couple in Hollywood in an exotic local and colorful time period? What's not to like? No firm release date for By the Sea but you can expect to see it next year.

Read More

Angelina Jolie to Direct and Star with Brad Pitt in 'By the Sea'

When rumors began to surface a couple of months ago that Hollywood A-list couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were teaming up on their first project since 2005's Mr. & Mrs. Smith, not a lot was made of it because there were so few details. There wasn't even a title. All we knew was that she would be writing it and they both would star. It didn't have a studio at the time but obiously that wasn't going to last long with those two attached. Enter Universal Pictures.

Universal has announced they will distribute By the Sea, which Jolie will write and direct, co-starring alongside Pitt. Jolie made her directorial debut with the underrated Bosnian War film, In the Land of Blood and Honey, and will release her follow-up, Unbroken, on Christmas Day. By the Sea is being described as an "intimate, character-driven drama" and that's all we know right now. Jolie commented on finding a familiar home for her next film....

Jolie: “I am very happy to continue my relationship with Donna and the entire Universal team as I finish Unbroken and begin work on By The Sea.  They have created a very special place for storytellers, and I look forward to the continued passion and support they have provided to me as a filmmaker.”

Read More

Angelina Jolie's WWII Drama 'Unbroken' Reveals New Trailer

Just over a week ago, Louis Zamperini died at the ripe old age of 97. It wasn't the first time he had been declared deceased, as the government claimed he had been killed in combat during WWII. The story of what really happened was chronicled in Laura Hillebrand's book, Unbroken, and is now the subject of Angelina Jolie's next directorial effort for which a new trailer has been released.

The latest trailer shows why Universal believe they have an Oscar contender on their hands and a rising star in Jack O'Connell. The young actor, most recently seen in 300: Rise of an Empire, plays Zamperini, a former Olympian who barely survived having his plane shot down during the war. But that was just the beginning as Zamperini and a few survivors were adrift on a raft for 47 days with little food and water until they were captured by the Japanese and sent to a brutal POW camp to endure more tortures.

Jolie impressed with her directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, and this one looks likes a serious upgrade from that, one which may see her spending more time behind the camera. It's a little sad that Zamperini won't be around when the film debuts but at least his story seems to be getting the treatment it deserves. Also starring Domhnall Gleeson, Jai Courtney, Garrett Hedlund, Miyavi, Alex Russell, Finn Wittrock, and John Magaro, Unbroken opens on Christmas Day.

Read More

Review: 'Maleficent' Starring Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning

There's a very good reason why Maleficent is Disney's most notorious villain, appearing in video games and other films in all her dastardly glory. The Sleeping Beauty antagonist was straight-up evil and reveled in that wickedness, and along with her obsidian visage, willingness to kill an innocent girl, and ability to transform into a dragon (!!!) she has earned a spot as one incredible animated heel. But Maleficent, billed as a total reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty story, attempts to soften her into just another villain with a secret heart of gold, and in the process they take away what made her interesting in the first place.

Disney, who seem to be on a kick of revamping their animated classics into forgettable live-action films, have put their trust in debut director Robert Stromberg, the guy largely responsible for the elaborate, soulless look of Oz the Great and Powerful and Alice in Wonderland. Maleficent suffers from the same sterility brought on by an overabundance of digital effects, bleeding into a story that fails to offer much of a human quality and not nearly enough of Angelina Jolie (and her awesome cheekbones!) vamping it up. That's not to say she isn't terrific because Jolie embodies Maleficent so utterly that it makes the film's deficiencies elsewhere all the more obvious, and those problems begin with the severe deviations from the source material.

The Maleficent we are treated to was a happy young fairy, living amongst the magical creatures of the Moors, a lush, natural fantasy land separated from the humans. With her powerful wings, Maleficent soars through the air and is innocent of heart until she encounters Stefan, a young human boy who wandered into the Moors to steal something. She should have taken the hint, but instead Maleficent and Stefan fall in love, enjoying one another's company until he grows older and obsessed with becoming king. In a shocking, too-disturbing-for-kids act of betrayal, Stefan (now played by Sharlto Copley) takes the one thing in the world she loves most so that he can attain the throne.

It's at this point when the film briefly settles into normalcy and shines as Maleficent, all angry and literally green with rage, crashes a party at the castle celebrating the birth of Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning). Swatting aside the three nice-but-annoying fairies (Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Juno Temple), she casts the familiar convoluted curse that would have Aurora pricking her finger on a spindle and falling into an eternal sleep, all by the age of 16. This is Jolie's truest moment to really show her wicked side, and she eats up the opportunity and goes in for a second helping. For a short while Stromberg and screenwriter Linda Woolverton (also of Alice in Wonderland) give the film a jolt of life that sadly goes missing the instant this scene draws to a close in a puff of green smoke.

From that point on it becomes abundantly clear that Disney never thought beyond the "let's make a Maleficent movie" stage because they fail to give the character a clear motivation. Aurora, now a teenager living with her three bumbling fairy guardians (Why are they morons, anyway?) is never given a personality to speak of. All we see of her is through the incompetence of her caretakers, and when they prove unable to watch over her it is Maleficent who, for reasons unknown, becomes her watchful fairy godmother. As Stefan sinks into a paranoid haze, Aurora and Maleficent are off bonding and playing with weird creatures, but really there is nothing of value going on for the entire second act.  Little effort is made to show us what is going on inside the heads of either Maleficent or Aurora, confusing for a film that seems to exist largely to be a source of empowerment to young women. To that end the male characters, specifically the handsome Prince Philip (Brenton Thwaites), are refashioned entirely or shifted into the background. Sam Riley is decent comic relief as Maleficent's shape-changing raven, Dieval, and more than any other has a real connection with Jolie.

Maleficent marks a wasted opportunity by Disney and Stromberg to present a truly devilish take on an old favorite. Jolie brings the fire and her formidable aura to the role but Maleficent's wings are clipped by a script that never offers a clear path for the character to take. Even if that path is one of pure wicked evil it would have been preferable to being dull and misunderstood.

Read More

*CLOSED* 'Maleficent' Advance Screening

The story of Sleeping Beauty is given a new spin with Disney's Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie as the iconic fairy tale villain. Co-starring Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley, and Brenton Thwaites, the film tells the the familiar story of Sleeping Beauty while exploring the untold events that turned Maleficent's heart to stone. We're offering our readers a chance to attend a free advance screening of Maleficent, held on Wednesday May 28th at 7:30pm at Regal Majestic in Silver Spring.

To qualify, you MUST be a fan of Punch Drunk Critics on Facebook,so if you haven't "Liked" us yet please go there and do so now. To win, simply email punchdrunktrav@gmail.com with your full name and favorite fairy tale character. Winners will be selected and notified on Monday, May 26th.

Good luck!

Read More

Angelina Jolie Crashes the Party in First 'Maleficent' Clip

In both the Brothers Grimm fairy tale and Disney's animated Sleeping Beauty, what drove Maleficent to evil was her being uninvited to a ceremony thrown by the king and queen. It's then that she casts a fatal curse that is weakened to merely a sleeping spell by one of the good fairies in attendance. Disney's live-action film Maleficent seems to be going to great lengths to make her sympathetic, but that will be tough to do based on this first clip.

Playing out almost exactly like the animated film, this clip shows Maleficent crashing the party after she was left off the guest list, causing an "awkward situation". If the rest of the story plays out in the way we're familiar then she's still going to come off like Disney's ultimate heel.

Maleficent opens May 30th and co-stars Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville, Sharlto Copley.


Maleficent Movie CLIP - No Invitation (2014) - Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning Movie HD by mtrailers

Read More

Final Trailer for Disney's 'Maleficent' Starring Angelina Jolie

What are the reasons that Disney's most notorious villain, Maleficent, became so evil in the first place? What drove her to such dastardly lengths seen in Sleeping Beauty? The answer to that question will arrive when Maleficent hits theaters in just a few weeks, but with Disney's overzealous marketing push they are making it very clear they want us to perceive her in a totally different light.

Directed by Robert Stromberg with a script by Linda Woolverton (Alice in Wonderland), the film will be driven by Angelina Jolie's performance as the infamous evil queen. The story will be told from her perspective and clue us in to the reasons behind her actions, and there's a very heavy emphasis on the history of the story. Disney really wants us to know how painstakingly faithful the film will be so it will be interesting to see how they pull off making Maleficent sympathetic.

Co-starring Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley, Juno Temple, and Imelda Staunton, Maleficent opens May 30th.

Read More

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt to Star in Film She Wrote

There's no doubt Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are Hollywood's ultimate power couple, and it was a decade ago that their union began to take shape on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. They've yet to star in a film together since, but with Jolie now establishing herself as a filmmaker of note, that is about to change.

Jolie and Pitt are in talks to star in a film which she wrote. No word on whether she'll take the helm, and this is still in very early stages as they don't even have a studio to distribute it yet. Frankly, it doesn't matter what the movie is about because studios will be falling over one another to get their hands on it. Can you imagine if their daughter, who has a small role with Angelina in Maleficent, also becomes part of the cast? The paparazzi business will skyrocket, stock in TMZ will soar.

Both Jolie and Pitt have WWII projects on the way. Her second film as a director (following the underrated In the Land of Blood and Honey) is Unbroken, an adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's book about Olympian-turned-POW Louis Zamperini, hitting theaters in December. And Pitt will be seen next in David Ayer's tank thriller, Fury, opening a month earlier. [Deadline]

Read More

New Footage in the Japanese 'Maleficent' Trailer

At least on the domestic front Disney seems to have calmed down shoving Maleficent in our faces, for the time being, anyway. But there are other international markets out there still to be conquered, and so we have a brand new Japanese trailer with some never-before-seen footage of Angelina Jolie as the titular Sleeping Beauty villain. Directed by Robert Stromberg and starring Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley, and more, the film tells the classic fairy tale from Maleficent's evil perspective.

Maleficent opens May 30th.


Maleficent Japanese Trailer by itsartmag

Read More

Wicked New Trailer for 'Maleficent' Starring Angelina Jolie

What's that, you say? Disney has been releasing footage from Maleficent at a clip only Sony and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (which has yet ANOTHER trailer tomorrow!?!?) could appreciate? That's definitely true, and yet here we are with a new spot that presents a fuller look at Angelina Jolie as Disney villain.

This series of trailers all seem to be focused on the central theme that Maleficent is somehow misunderstood, or at the very least she's someone worthy of our sympathy. Here we see just a hint of the events that darkened her heart and led her to cast a terrible curse on Princess Aurora. Will audiences be willing to pay to see the fairy tale from a different angle? It kind of worked for Disney with Oz the Great and Powerful, but not on the scale they had hoped.

We'll probably have another ten trailers by the time Maleficent opens on May 30th.

Read More

Angelina Jolie Has Wings in New 'Maleficent' Teaser

Even a devious, iconic villain like Maleficent couldn't have been born evil. Something must have happened to her to make her that way, and that's the story being told in Maleficent, Disney's live-action take on Sleeping Beauty told from the evil fairy's perspective.  The marketing blitz is in full swing with a new "legacy" trailer released over the weekend, Angelina Jolie everywhere making the press rounds, and now a brief teaser about the loss of Maleficent's wings.

“I had wings once. And they were strong, but they were stolen from me." Maleficent is looking for our sympathy in this clip, and it'll be interesting to see how Jolie and director Robert Stromberg attempt to make us feel something for her, considering the terrible acts we know she'll commit. It's a tough job, but if anybody can pull that off it's Jolie.

Maleficent opens in theaters May 30th.

Read More

The Sleeping Beauty Legacy Inspires New 'Maleficent' Trailer

Although Disney's Maleficent is live-action and tells the Sleeping Beauty story from the villain's perspective, it's still sticking very close to the source material. There's a great animated lineage director Robert Stromberg is building from, and that legacy is a big part of the latest trailer. Angelina Jolie dons some nasty horns as the title character, in what looks like a deliciously evil lead performance. Elle Fanning is Princess Aurora, surrounded by a supporting cast that includes Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley, Brenton Thwaites, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Miranda Richardson, and Lesley Manville.

Maleficent opens May 30th 2014. Check out the trailer and plot synopsis below.


Maleficent Trailer 3 - Legacy by Stuff We Like

PLOT: “Maleficent” is the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the 1959 classic “Sleeping Beauty.” A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal—an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom—and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.

Read More

Check Out Angelina Jolie's Horns in New 'Maleficent' Posters

Disney is going full steam ahead with the marketing for Maleficent, and as expected the bulk of that campaign is focused on Angelina Jolie. A few days after images were released of Jolie, her young daughter Vivienne, and more of the film's cast, Disney has unveiled two new posters showing off Maleficent's horny side.

A new trailer should be arriving soon for the film that is a twist on the traditional Sleeping Beauty, telling the tale from the villainous Maleficent's perspective. Directed by Robert Stromberg and co-starring Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville the film arrives on May 30th.

Read More

New Photos of Angelina Jolie as Disney's 'Maleficent'

”It is really funny when people say you’d be obvious for a great villain, ", Angelina Jolie told EW in an interview about Disney's Maleficent, in which she plays the notorious Sleeping Beauty villain. And she's probably right, but Jolie has long been considered one of the toughest actresses in Hollywood with a string of high-profile action roles, which made her the perfect choice to tweak that persona just a little bit towards the dark side.

EW has released a batch of new photos from Maleficent, a retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty story told from the villain's perspective. Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley, and Brenton Thwaites co-star, along with a brief appearance by Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter, Vivienne. Jolie talks about acting with her daughter for the first time, as well as the purpose behind focusing the story on Maleficent...

Jolie:  “The exercise wasn’t how can we have fun with a villain? It was: What turns people evil and vile and aggressive and cruel? What could have possibly happened to her?”

Directed by Robert Stromberg, Maleficent opens May 30th. 

Read More

Watch the 3-Minute Olympics Teaser for Angelina Jolie's 'Unbroken'

It's only fitting that a film based on the incredible life of Olympian Louis Zamperini would be teased during the Winter Olympics. Angelina Jolie is bringing Zamperini's story to the big screen with Unbroken, her directorial follow-up to the vastly underrated Bosnian War romance, In the Land of Blood and Honey, and now we have an impressive 3-minute preview.

Based on the novel by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken stars rising star Jack O'Connell as a young Zamperini, who at the 1936 Berlin Olympics caught the eye of Adolf Hitler for his fast finish in the 5000 meter distance race. Enlisting in the Air Force in 1941, Zamperini's plane crashed, leaving him and his crew adrift for 47 days before they reached land and were taken by the Japanese as prisoners of war. There he survived terrible tortures, notably at the hands of war criminal Mutsuhiro Watanabe.

With the Coen Brothers having tagged on the script, and a cast that includes Domhnall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund, Alex Russell, and Finn Witrock, Unbroken should be a serious contender when it arrives on Christmas Day. 


Unbroken by Teaser-Trailer.com

Read More