A powerful historical thriller

Rating: 9/10 (13 September 2012)

Tom Cruise leads Valkyrie's strong cast as Claus von Stauffenberg, a German Colonol who saw his beloved country crushed as Hitler, obsessed with conquest, expended it in every way possible. Concluding that he could no longer serve both his country and the Fuhrer, Stauffenberg took on a central role in a plot to assassinate Hitler.
I find it sad that reviewers who are clearly just criticizing Tom Cruise, and do not sound like they have even seen this movie, are giving it such poor ratings. Cruise's dedication to this film is tangible, and the results are admirable: not his usual flashy characters, but a serious, strongly motivated man in an impossible situation.
And as for the movie itself, Valkyrie is based on true events. It started out a little slow, but picked up before long. It's a testament to everyone involved in the filmmaking process that Valkyrie manages to be suspenseful, even though we all know the basics of what will be happening, before we even see it.
A dramatic and tragic, yet ultimately triumphant story, Valkyrie was so well-made and well-acted that I found myself shedding a tear at the end. 9 out of 10...highly recommended.