Today's movie was "Valkyrie" (2008), a historical World War II drama directed by Bryan Singer. In Canada, it's available on Prime Video, Hoopla, and TubiTV. It's on Fubo, MGM+, Ruku, Hoopla, TubiTV, PlutoTV and FilmBox in the United States.
My 5 of 10 review is at:
It's a historical World War II drama set in Germany in 1943-1944. It opens in 1943 when Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) was seriously injured in battle in North Africa. The film then follows Stauffenberg's joining the resistance movement that included General von Tresckow (Kenneth Branagh), General Beck (Terence Stamp), General Olbricht (Bill Nighy), political leader Carl Friedrich Goerdeler (Kevin McNally), Field General Witzleben (David Schofield) and Colonel von Quirnheim (Christian Berkel). We also meet General Fromm (Tom Wilkinson), head of the Reserve Army which was critical to Operation Valkyrie.
The film shows Stauffenberg convincing the others to use, as part of the assignation plot, the Valkyrie plan authorized by Hitler to provide continuity of government in the case of an emergency. Generals Fromm and Olbricht headed the Reserve Army utilized in the plan. It follows efforts to get Adolf Hitler (David Bamber) to sign off on a revised plan and the subsequent efforts by Stauffenberg to plant a bomb near Hitler at a military briefing, and the consequences when things go wrong.
The script for "Valkyrie" treats the historical event like a 1950s World War II movie--it's all plot and action, with no exploration of motivation. And Stauffenberg's motivation for participation in the plot is highly fertile ground for exploration. Tom Cruise's Stauffenberg is the commanding center of everything, while others like Olbricht and Fromm are portrayed as weasels. Some of the dialogue is very contrived, and the musical score belongs in a thriller. Interestingly, it's now clear that Stauffenberg did not originate the Valkyrie idea (it was Tresckow).
"Valkyrie" is a Tom Cruise action movie, not a serious historical drama.
My 5 of 10 review is at:
It's a historical World War II drama set in Germany in 1943-1944. It opens in 1943 when Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) was seriously injured in battle in North Africa. The film then follows Stauffenberg's joining the resistance movement that included General von Tresckow (Kenneth Branagh), General Beck (Terence Stamp), General Olbricht (Bill Nighy), political leader Carl Friedrich Goerdeler (Kevin McNally), Field General Witzleben (David Schofield) and Colonel von Quirnheim (Christian Berkel). We also meet General Fromm (Tom Wilkinson), head of the Reserve Army which was critical to Operation Valkyrie.
The film shows Stauffenberg convincing the others to use, as part of the assignation plot, the Valkyrie plan authorized by Hitler to provide continuity of government in the case of an emergency. Generals Fromm and Olbricht headed the Reserve Army utilized in the plan. It follows efforts to get Adolf Hitler (David Bamber) to sign off on a revised plan and the subsequent efforts by Stauffenberg to plant a bomb near Hitler at a military briefing, and the consequences when things go wrong.
The script for "Valkyrie" treats the historical event like a 1950s World War II movie--it's all plot and action, with no exploration of motivation. And Stauffenberg's motivation for participation in the plot is highly fertile ground for exploration. Tom Cruise's Stauffenberg is the commanding center of everything, while others like Olbricht and Fromm are portrayed as weasels. Some of the dialogue is very contrived, and the musical score belongs in a thriller. Interestingly, it's now clear that Stauffenberg did not originate the Valkyrie idea (it was Tresckow).
"Valkyrie" is a Tom Cruise action movie, not a serious historical drama.
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