Snob Movie Review: Valkyrie

Directed by Bryan Singer (at one point, he was one of our favourite directors), this picture opens Christmas Day.

Tom Cruise stars as von Stauffenberg a member of the German Army who plans to kill Hitler in WWII. At the beginning of the movie, he is wounded in Africa leaving him without an eye and a hand.

The good thing about this movie is the unprecedented supporting cast which includes: Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard, Tom Wilkinson and more. All deliver interesting performances.

However, the same can not be said for Tom Cruise. Personally, I think he is an interesting actor, but in Valkyrie we see none of it.

We all know the outcome of the movie, but it still lacks the suspense and drama that is demanded in a movie of this. All of the characters are uni-dimensional (especially Cruise). There is a lot of talking and very little action, the movie becomes pretty boring.

Although I appreciated the interesting transition from German to English, it's a very strong choice to have your actors perform with their native English and American accents. It's a weird decision that I'm sure will get some attention.

Above all, the directing, acting and editing becomes robotic. It's adequate, but there's something missing. No surprises. No emotional content. Thi is especially tragic since this is one of the most interesting stories of our time.