Valkyrie: Good direction, and great support make it worthwhile

Rating: 8/10 (6 December 2008)

I went to a pre-screening of Valkyrie and I was surprised to find myself enjoying the movie more than I thought I would.
The story is straight forward, detailing the last of 15 known assassination attempts against Adolf Hitler. Since history tells us Adolf Hitler committed suicide I went into the theater with a sense of frustration, and small disappointment knowing the villains would succeed, the heroes ultimately fail due to under estimation of their adversaries.
The plot is neither hindered nor helped by Tom Cruise. He plays his usual intense, glowering, stiff faced character, and is outshone by the supporting cast. You can almost forget that he's in the movie if you can appreciate the performances of Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, and other actors who play the chief conspirators, including Eddie Izzard, and Christian Berkel.
I came out of the theater contemplating the course of history oddly enough, so yes the movie is thought provoking, but I don't think I would see it again because it is so straightforward, making it hard to glean extra insights into the characters and story. Thanks to the supporting cast the movie didn't tank, and the direction made the movie intense in many parts, even though you know what's gonna happen at the end.
Since I saw a prescreening the tickets were free, and I would say if you have a problem with Tom Cruise, that's the way you should see this movie, because it is worth watching. Or pay the money for a ticket, and just think about how you're supporting the career of actors who actually deserve it.
Go see the movie for it's values sake, and because it's a good film. Don't expect a lot of action, or blood. Expect a good story, and good acting by a majority of the cast.