Valkyrie

This Movie Made Me: Sufficiently Anxious

As the age-old saying goes: actions speak louder than words. That is particularly the case with Valkryie, Bryan Singer’s new thriller depicting the true story of a failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler. Perhaps it’s all for the best, since the actors spew out a hodgepodge of accents that hinder the film. And despite genuine thrills, a stiff Tom Cruise performance makes Valkyrie just another run-of-the-mill thriller.

Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) is stationed in Africa during the latter years of WWII. After an attack leaves him wounded and blind in one eye, von Stauffenberg returns to Germany. His animosity towards Hitler lands him in a group of high-ranking officials plotting to overthrow Hitler and start a new government. Von Stauffenberg presents Operation Valkyrie, meant to be used in case of a SS revolt, as the perfect means to assassinate Hitler and end his reign of terror.

Singer’s talent for making unbearably tense sequences is on full display here. Even though the ultimate end of the plot is obvious, the assassination attempt is an expertly crafted nail biter. Intricately detailed and as drawn out as possible, it is impossible not to be spellbound by the time von Stauffenberg has Hitler in his sights. This is filmmaking much more focused than his work in the X-Men series and in Superman Returns.

If only the rest of the film kept up with him. Cruise seems to be unable to emote properly with only one eye. Having the only American accent doesn’t help either. There are accents abound in Valkyrie – mostly British, and most of the actual German accents are reserved for the bad guys. While it may have saved Cruise the embarrassment of ridiculous accents, the eclectic mix takes away more from the film than it adds to it. It is a particular travesty that Carice van Houten (mesmerizing in Paul Verhoeven’s Black Book) has only a few precious minutes of screen time. As von Stauffenberg’s wife, her character seems almost an afterthought as written. But van Houten speaks volumes without saying a word. And in the end, it’s her we remember.

Valkyrie is a solid thriller – an accomplishment enough, given how obvious its ending will be. The detail constructed in the suspenseful sequences is top-notch and not to be missed. Whether or not it returns Tom Cruise to box office glory remains to be seen. But if Valkyrie does, it will be because of film power – not star power.