Valkyrie

Valkyrie



Tom Cruise isn’t everyone’s favourite beverage. His acting range is about as long as an alopecia sufferer’s stubble. Not to mention his religious persuasions which are the topic of much consternation. He’s a prick, short and simple.

He wasn’t the selling point for me, if I’m honest. Nor was the exemplary supporting cast. No, the story is very much centre stage for me. What could be better than watching a group of Germans trying to assasinate the vilest, most putrid “human being” to ever walk the earth, Hitler?

The conspiracy involves some of Germany’s most influential Generals and military leaders. Their previous attempts have come to nothing. It’s only when Col. Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) gets involved, that the plot receives a much needed shot in the arm. Stauffenberg’s plan is elaborate and brilliant. He wants to turn Germany’s army against itself.

The reservist troops based around Berlin are strategically placed to protect the Fuhrer from any invasion force. Stauffenberg plans to dupe the reservists into believing the SS (Germany’s secret police) are staging a coup, and blame them for the death of Hitler (who Claus plans to execute himself).

The audience is presented with the plan and then we bite our nails as we watch the conspirators try to pull it off. Unfortunately, like every other fact based war movie, we already know the outcome (Hitler killed himself in a bunker), which rather saps the tension.

Not to say that this film isn’t tense. Cos it bloody is. You’ll be wringing the sweat from your hands watching Stauffenberg shoulder to shoulder with the Fuhrer as he tries to move his bomb closer to the target.

Cruise holds his own among some of Britain’s finest actors and Eddie Izzard too -Branagh, Nighy, Wilkinson make up the numbers in this stellar cast. Though, like most modern war films, the cast eschew imitation German accents and just speak their standard thespian lingo. Which really only serves to wrench your suspension of disbelief away from you.

Tom Cruise has only played two real-life characters, in this and ‘Born on the Fourth of July’. It would seem from the evidence that Cruise only shows his worth in true stories.

Verdict 8/10
Anything that lifts Tom Cruise from the pits of my personal disdain, must be doing something right. Thank you Bryan Singer.