Valkyrie

3/4

Starring: Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Terrence Stamp, Christian Berkel, Jamie Parker

Rated PG-13 for Violence and Brief Strong Language

It takes true skill to make an effective thriller about which the ending is already common knowledge.  But by taking the perspective from the point of view from the characters and making this about them rather than the plot, our foreknowledge becomes an asset rather than a detriment.

1944.  World War II is in full swing, and things are not looking good for Germany.  Many high ranking officials are have lost faith in Hitler, and think him more and more as a danger to Germany rather than a leader.  Previous assassination attempts have failed, but a group of high ranking Nazi officers and politicians have come together to pull off the impossible: kill Adolph Hitler and take control of Germany.  The question is, can they do it, and will everyone have the guts to see it through?

The film is divided into two parts.  The first half is the planning stage; we meet the players and learn how they fit together.  There’s a lot going on here, and it is sometimes slightly confusing.  The second half is the execution of the plan, and it’s loaded with suspense.  We see what goes wrong and how close they all came to pulling it off.

The performances are all solid, but this is not an actor’s movie.  There’s too much plot for any real focus to be placed on character development.  That being said, Tom Cruise gives a nicely understated performance as the disillusioned von Stauffenburg.  He’s already lost faith in Hitler and the war, and this assassination plot gives him something to believe in.  Bill Nighy is his usual reliable self as Olbricht, the general who recruits him, and so is Terrence Stamp.  Jamie Parker, Christian Berkel, Tom Wilkinson, Eddie Izzard, and Kenneth Branagh are good in supporting roles.  Carice van Houten has little to do as Nina, von Stauffenburg’s wife, but at least she’s getting a chance to cross over into American films after her stunning debut in “Black Book,” another great WWII thriller.

Speaking of “Black Book,” “Valkyrie” shares four members of the cast with Paul Verhoeven’s film.  Christian Berkel, Waldemar Kobus (as a police chief who is a part of the cause), Halina Reijn and of course van Houten are all present in the film.  Berkel and Kobus are especially interesting cases because they play characters that are polar opposites of the ones they played in “Black Book.”

Bryan Singer is a good choice for directing this film.  He’s a good storyteller, and has a keen knowledge of suspense.  He’s also very organized, and we always remember who everyone is and how they fit into this story.

For those who like suspense or are fascinated by World War II history, this is a solid choice.