|
Many saw evil. They
dared to stop it.
"Valkyrie" is a powerful, visceral thriller
that is packed with twists, turns and
unbearable suspense. It is a true
story that was absolutely destined to be a
major Hollywood film. However, the
emotional weight of its subject matter and
the very atypical ending makes the movie
more than just an exciting ride -- this is
an important and somber history lesson about
courage in the face of ultimate evil.
Tom Cruise seems to
have a lot of detractors these days... and
unfairly so. The media and general
public are far too quick to judge him for
things that are, quite frankly, none of
their business. Somehow, those unfair
opinions have been making their way into
reviews of his latest films. I am
mystified by that concept. The fact is
that Cruise has been doing tremendous work
for almost three decades now... and it is
time to recognize his talent and success.
He is one of the all time greats and
displays that again in this role.
In this epic
thriller, he plays real-life hero, Colonel
Claus von Stauffenberg, a soldier in the
Nazi regime who is intent on killing Hitler
and bringing down the Third Reich.
Along with a number of other insiders, he
sets into motion a plan to detonate a bomb
during a meeting of Hitler and his
subordinates.
The film plays out
in Hitchcockian style, ratcheting up the
tension at every point, until we cannot take
it anymore. Brian Singer does a fine
job of pacing the film briskly and making us
fully aware of the action at all times.
"Valkyrie" is a
return to classic Hollywood thrillers.
It is a gut pounding experience that will
affect you more than you'd suspect. It
may be dressed up as popcorn entertainment,
but you'll soon put the popcorn bucket down
as you begin to realize that you are
watching real life bravery unfolding at one
of the most important times in the recent
history of the world. This is a
tremendous film... one of the 20 best movies
of 2008.
©
Written by TC Candler
Email Me About This Review |
Director
Bryan
Singer
Cast
Tom
Cruise
Carice Van Houten
Kenneth Branagh
Bill Nighy
Tom Wilkinson
Eddie Izzard
Running Time
120m
Rated
PG13
Official
Website
http://valkyrie.unitedartists.com
 |
