Entertaining WW2 thriller

Rating: 7/10 (19 February 2009)

The most elaborate and extensive plan to kill Adolf Hitler is depicted admirably in Valkyrie by none other than Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise, a slew of quality British actors and the director of X-Men and Superman Returns.
Now I'm no WW2 history buff, but I gather the film is mostly historically accurate. I did admire how much suspense the film generated despite the known outcome. This plot to kill Germany's most demented individual was well orchestrated and very close to working like a charm, only a few mishaps and human errors prevented it from succeeding.
As for the performances, the British guys owned it. Branagh, Stamp, Wilkinson, Nighy and even Eddie Izzard are flawless in their depictions as Nazi soldiers who are disgusted by their leader. Tom Cruise is neither here nor there, playing the leader Claus von Stauffenberg. He is not bad, just not very good either.
With the outcome previously known, I approached "Valkyrie" as pure entertainment. It's always good to leave a film a little wiser about history but this film didn't leave me breathless or astonished in any way. The film is suspenseful, well made and written and is most likely a very welcome addition in the genre for WW2 buffs.
In the end, what stayed with me was that it seemed likely that some higher power was watching out for the demented leader of Germany as no less than 15 assassinations were attempted and in the end he died of his own hand. It's a funny twist of fate.