Brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (27 December 2008)

Valkyrie, a movie that's been on the map for close to a year now, that has been plagued by delays, injuries, lawsuits, government restrictions etc. Finally it is out, and boy have I been waiting for a movie like this.
Christopher Macquarie deserves an Oscar for his script, because this was one of the best scripts I've ever heard on screen. It was thrilling, it was intelligent, and it immersed you in this Nazi Germany World that has been displayed as One Hundred Percent pure evil, yet the script shows you that there were good people there who were just following orders, who's number one priority wasn't just killing Jews. The script has some very memorable lines, lines like: "By nightfall I want to know that Hitler's Germany has seen it's last sunrise.", or "We have to show the world, that not all of us were like him." It is so beautifully written, that Macquarie has my vote for the Oscar.
If there was an Oscar called Best overall acting, then Valkyrie would win it. Tom Cruise is very good as Colonel Claus Von Stauffenberg, an injured Nazi, who is very displeased with the way Hitler runs the show in Berlin. Cruise is good, but not great, I don't know if this is the one performance to revitalize his career. The other actors are even better. Kenneth Branagh delivers a chilling performance as a Major-General Henning Von Terscow who is extremely displeased with Hitler and the Nazi regime. Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean's Davy Jones) gives an outstanding performance as General Olbricht, one of the Generals who sits around in Berlin commanding the reserve army. Nighy plays his character perfectly, from the stiff body, to his fiery temper, yet indecisiveness. Tom Wilkinson, coming off his Emmy winning performance as Benjamin Franklin, delivers probably one of the best performances of his career as General Fredrick Frohm. Wilkinson brings his incredible fire and vigor to the character, and always leaves you wondering who's side Frohm is on. Claurice Van Outen plays Nina Von Stauffenberg, Claus' wife. Though she has few lines, Van outen shows you that Mrs. Stauffenberg sacrificed more than any of the soldiers. She sacrificed her husband, her children, and herself.
Terrance Stamp delivers once again as resigned General Ludwig Beck, who is going to be the mastermind behind this whole plot. Stamp brings his awesome accent to this very complicated character. Eddie Izzard plays a party loving General Erich Fellgiebell. Izzard has some incredible lines, in which he delivers them perfectly. Christian Berkel plays the explosives expert, and assistant to General Olbricht Colonel Mertz Von Quirnhem. Berkel's character is very important, and he gives you this sense that Mertz will kill Hitler even if it means losing his own life. I think the best performance of the movie may have come from a little known actor Jamie Parker who plays Lieutenant Werner Von Haeften, Stauffenberg's right hand man. Parker shows you that Haeftan loved Stauffenberg deeply, and that he would do anything to save Stauffenberg, and at the end of the movie they really show you how strong this relationship between Stauffenberg and Haeften is.
Bryan Singer does an amazing job as the director for the movie. He makes the excellent choice not to use CGI (Computer Generated Imagery), and instead shoot everything on location. The cinematography is beautiful, and very well done. Singer gives you the perfect explanation at the beginning of the movie for why they don't speak German, or English with a German accent. Singer also does an excellent job of just creating this uncertainty whenever Hitler is on screen. You never know what Hitler is going to do next, because Singer shows you that he is Adolf Hitler, he is the greatest madman to ever walk the face of the earth. Singer makes sure that the historical side to the movie has documentary like accuracy. All that this movie's been through I think Singer should at least get nominated for an Oscar as director.
Valkyire will keep you on the edge of your seat, it will entertain you, it will immerse you in this World War II world, and most importantly it will show you that these men and women gave the greatest sacrifice of all to save humanity from the greatest madmen ever, Adolf Hitler. I would highly recommend this movie to any who wishes that Hitler had been killed before the damage had been done....I hope that is everyone.