As always, here is your spoiler free plot summary (which is ironic, since history itself has spoiled ending for you), brought to you by IMDB.com: At the height of WW2, a group of high-ranking German officers hatched a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, and seize power of the military command in order to end the war.
I have a real problem with media outlets when it comes to this movie. The only noise being made in regards to this film have been and continue to be negative on the whole. It started two years ago with production problems in Germany related to Scientology's negative reputation and then tumbled to Tom Cruise's personal media problems. Finally, with the movie approaching, the headlines of the reviews have been mostly negative. If you investigated a bit you'd actually see that the majority of reviews, admittedly a smaller majority than I'd prefer, have come down on the plus side. Where are those headlines? Is it really easier to sell the story by bashing Mr Cruise after all this time?
I must admit that I had acquired the communicable disease known as ThomasCruisitis during the last few years as many of you did. Thankfully, we have been given a cure. If not a cure, at least a chance for remission. This film is just the shot in the arm we need to give us the courage to peek around the corner and see if any couch jumping or psychology attacking is taking place. I'm happy to say there are no shenanigan's taking place.
People, there is a reason why practically every British "A list" actor signed on for this film. It is well written and well directed. It is driven. By plot. By deeds. By necessity.
In the past I've written first about the actors, this time I'd like to start by mentioning the writers Nathan Alexander, Christopher McQuarrie and director Bryan Singer. The latter two are the fantastic team that brought us The Usual Suspects and this is their first collaboration since. I am happy to say that they still have the gene for suspense, despite the ending you already know. This screenplay is amazingly well researched and through my own investigating I've determined that very little was changed for the film. A substitute character fulfilling an action or two is the only discrepancy I can find. While a living relative may find fault with their father/uncle/grandfather not being credited correctly with an action, you won't notice and nothing detracts from the film.
I find absolutely no fault with the acting. This film is chalk full of first class actors; most British, some Germans, and a few Americans. You may not recognize the names, but you most certainly will recognize the faces. A short list of them follows, and let me say the the first man on the list has, to my mind, turned in some of the best work going in the last 10 years:
Last would be Tom Cruise. You've seen him in practically every movie he's made and you've seen this type of role from him before. But you've never seen this before. This marks the first time that grim determination and moral righteousness are not just part of a sci-fi or fictional movie, but are by necessity required by history and fact. It's not a bi product of the characters psyche, it's a plot point that moves the movie forward. Mr. Cruise pulls it off. You've seen his character defiant of authority before. Now you see him take authority and turn it around to become authority. You see greater men bow to his unwavering determination and you believe it.
I for one am quite happy to be able to enjoy a Tom Cruise film again.
I fought myself over the decision to see this movie. In the end the craving for historical knowledge won, and I am better for it. I never knew any of this German history or the fact that this was one of 15 different assassination plots that failed against Hitler. I am giving Valkyrie 4 explosive bricks of plastique out of 5 explosive bricks of plastique. You do yourself and history in general a disservice if you miss this film. Some movies should inspire something in you; I immediately walked from the theater to the bookstore and purchased a copy of "The Men Who Tried to Kill Hitler". I hope that some film, somewhere inspires something in you the way this one caused me to want to learn more.
I'm just saying,
Elijah.
1 comment:
i love this movie ~~~ awesome !~!!!!
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