Grand Conspiracy
Written: Jan 11 '09 (Updated Jan 11 '09)
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Terrific screenplay, tight direction.
Cons: Cruise's performance is a bit to measured for my taste.
The Bottom Line: A tight and suspenseful thriller that puts psychology ahead of
pure action.
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| whaler66's Full Review: Valkyrie |
Directed By Bryan Singer. Written by Christopher McQuarrie
and Nathan Alexander
Tom Cruise Coloniel (Claus Von Stauffenberg)
Carice Van Houten (Nina Von Stauffenberg)
Kenneth Branagh (Major General Henning Von Tresckow)
Bill Nighy (General Friedrich Olbricht)
Tom Wilkinson (General Frederich Fromm)
Eddie Izzard (General Erich Fellgiebel)
David Bamber (Adolf Hitler)
Terence Stamp (Ludwig Beck)
Thomas Kretschmann (Major Otto Ernst Remer)
Let me be perfectly clear. "Valkyrie" is NOT to be regarded as a history lesson of any kind. I have no doubt that the version of events depicted here didn't quite occur the way that they did in real life. That being said, "Valkyrie" is a smart and gripping thriller that favors psychology over action. If you're expecting a mindless popcorn flick where the plot is a mechanism in which to set up the action sequences..... "Valkyrie" might not be for you.
Indeed, "Valkyrie" is a thinking persons thriller. "Valkyrie" is filled with smart and deliberate characters, characters who are well aware of what they're engaged in and the consequences that they will face if everything doesn't go as planned. Even though I knew how "Valkyrie" ultimately turned out, I was still glued to my seat from the first frame to the last. Most importantly, director Bryan Singer's "Valkyrie" doesn't smack of the nauseating self importance that dogged "Superman Returns." Director Bryan Singer shows a very subtle hand here, letting the actors work their magic behind an absolutely terrific screenplay from Christopher McQuarrie (Bryan Singer's Co writer on "The Usual Suspects") and Nathan Alexander. There are two great moments that I'm thinking of that prove my point about Singers subtle touch with "Valkyrie." I'm thinking of the moment where Von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) has a face to face with the man he plans to topple, Adolf Hitler (David Bamber.) Nice quick shots of Von Stauffernberg's face as he shakes the hand of the man he despises. No extra theatrics here from director Bryan Singer, no questioning of the audiences intellect. This has been Bryan Singer's weakness in the past, drawing out the material because of his insecurity about the audience's ability to see what he sees.
There's also another moment at the beginning of the film that I want to single out; it's where Major General Tresckow (Kenneth Branagh) is unsure whether his superiors have uncovered his treasonous intentions towards Hitler. The key word here... subtlety. Singer lets the moment breathe on its own. Branagh steals the show here, you can see Tresckow's mind moving in various directions as he tries to keep himself from making a fatal mis step.
Is Bryan Singer's direction perfect? No. Like Brian De Palma, Bryan Singer seems to lose faith in the audience at various intervals. The moment where Von Stauffenberg plays a game of suitcase chess with a concealed explosive device is a prime example of what I'm talking about. To many cut away's on the suitcase and it seems rather convenient that a man as twitchy as Von Stauffenberg wouldn't draw a measure of suspicion. I give credit to director Bryan Singer for not going overboard in terms of how he shot the sequence with the suitcase. The focus on the suitcase is a bit over the top but at least director Bryan Singer doesn't resort to those gimmicky attempts at channeling Hitchcock. See Brian DePalma's "The Black Dahlia" and you'll know what I mean.
Plot: "Valkyrie" tells the story of a palace coup orchestrated by members of Adolf Hitler's German Army during the height of his tyrannical reign. Coloniel Claus Von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) is among a handful of unhappy foot soldiers who can not sit by and let Hitler (David Bamber) continue to commit atrocities in the name of Germany. Von Stauffernberg's plot to topple Hitler involves one of Hitler's contingency plans named "Valkyrie." "Valkyrie" is designed to protect Hitler's power base in the event that he is incapacitated.
Von Stauffenberg's coup centers around a revised version of the Valkyrie plan; a plan that would leave Hitler virtually defenseless once Von Stauffenberg's uprising takes shape. Joining Von Stauffenberg in his plan to topple Hitler is General Olbricht (Bill Nighy) as well as General Fellgiebel (Eddie Izzard.) Fellgiebel is Von Stauffenberg's communications point man at the heart of the coup, the man in charge of making sure than Hitler's surviving foot soldiers are unable to communicate the fact that an uprising is at hand. At the head of the plan is Ludwig Beck (Terence Stamp.) Beck supplies Von Stauffenberg with everything he needs to carry out operation Valkyrie and gives him guidance as to the overall logistics of the plan. Of course, every plan has its obstacles. In this case, Von Stauffenberg must somehow convince Major Fromm (Tom Wilkinson) to switch allegiances and sign the order putting the revised Valkyrie plan into effect. Fromm, while not Hitler's biggest fan, is also a cautious man; always weighing the odds, always straddling the fence.
Performances: I read Roger Ebert's review of "Valkyrie" and in it, he said that Tom Cruise's performance was unspectacular in a sense. I think that Cruise has the right approach but I did want to see him take his portrayal of Von Stauffenberg a bit further. Von Stauffenberg is a man who has a lot riding on his shoulders but Cruise seems to play him with only one gear. Again though, I think that Cruise's approach is correct in a sense. It would be unwise for this character, in light of what he's involved in, to rant and rave and then morph into a demonstrative crusader.
Tom Wilkinson, fresh off of an over reaching performance as an unbalanced attorney in "Michael Clayton" redeems himself here. The great part of Wilkinson's performance is the fact that he never tips his hand. The Fromm character is interesting because we can't quite get a sense of where his loyalties actually lie.
Kenneth Branagh, though is role is limited, brings a sense of professionalism and authority to his role as Gen Major Tresckow. Branagh's theatrics are non existent here, he lets the material speak for itself and he doesn't try to do to much. Branagh, gifted as he is, is no stranger to the concept of overkill from time to time. Like Cruise, Branagh's performance in "Valkyrie" is workmanlike if not spectacular.
Final Thoughts: I would rate "Valkyrie" as one of Bryan Singer's better films. Like his debut film, "The Usual Suspects," Bryan Singer's "Valkyrie" is smart and aware and has a good pace to it. Singer, though prone to creative spectacle at times, dials it down here and in doing so.. he manages to tell one heck of a story. A story full of smart and cerebral characters who try desperately to change history. Kudos to writers Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander for crafting a screenplay that lets us get to know each of the players in this drama without sacrificing the pace of the film. The character sketches from the screenplay are oh so brief but they're full enough to keep the audience in the loop in terms of who is who and who stands for what. Good to see Director Bryan Singer and writer Christopher McQuarrie back together again; Bryan Singer hasn't directed a screenplay this good in quite some time.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Serious Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing
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whaler66
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Location: Chicago, Illinois
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