Not a war action film - but great! (Valkyrie (DVD))

Member Name: rosaliecullen

Product:	Valkyrie (DVD)
Date:	18/08/09 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gets you really involved

Disadvantages: Tom Cruise possibly

Had a vague idea before I watched this that it was about WW2 but had no idea of the plot or that it was largely true story.

Brief Plot - Essentially without giving any spoilers, it is about a group within the German army who are leading the resistance against Hitler. The story of Captain von Stauffenberg (played by Tom Cruise) who leads the way and the uprising against Hitler. The story shows what happens when "Operation Valkyrie" is put into place.

Cast - Many famous faces pop up, (a lot of Pirates of the Carribean cast!), Tom Cruise, Eddie Izzard, Kenneth Brannagh, Bill Nighy all give convincing performances, although I would say Cruise is 'wooden' sometimes and could do better.

Length - about 2 hours long

How good is it? - I would say that the manner in which this is filmed is high budget and very convincing. The attention to detail is good and the plot is relatively easy to follow after an initial slow start. I'm not sure that the first scene is entirely necessary, and found out afterwards that this was an additional scene that was not originally in the film. The film itself, although set in war time is not a war action film, it is very much about the men in the offices rather than the men on the ground, so more thought is needed that watching something like Saving Private Ryan.


At the crux of the film, where tension is building, we were actually sitting there completely engrossed, goose pimples and I felt nervous for the characters. To engage a person in that way shows that the film, script and score is well written and directed. I'm just not 100% on Cruise.

You will like it if....you like historical films, you like thrillers and you like tension.

The ending is very poignant, especially when I found out it was a largely true story.

Summary: Great film well worth the watch.