Review of Valkyrie (2008) by Tim D — 20 Sep 2010

Exciting and quite factually adherent Hollywood production detailing the July 1944 attempt by German officers to assassinate Hitler and seize government power in order to end the war. Tom Cruise makes a triumphant return to the movies following a couple years of publicly ridiculed behavior as Claus von Stauffenberg, a one-eyed, one-handed colonel bent on stopping the madness of the Third Reich. The casting director apparently bussed over many actors who had just wrapped Paul Verhoeven's WW2 saga Black Book as many of the same faces appear in both films. Among those is talented leading lady Carice van Houten as von Stauffenberg's wife who is underused, I would have liked to have a scene where Cruise tells her his decision to usurp the Reich to witness her reaction.

The German locations provide a big boost to the authenticity. There are some unnecessary elements that add false tension (oh no, who took the briefcase with the bomb??), the complex scheme is far too streamlined, and I doubt the actual coup progressed as far as indicated, but while caught up in the proceedings Valkyrie impressively managed to make me briefly forget that this mission was doomed to fail anyway.