much better than expected

Rating: Null/10 (11 March 2011)

I didn't pay much attention when this came out in theatres. The entertainment media kept calling it a 'troubled' production and there was the usual skewering of Tom Cruise because of his religion, erratic behaviour, etc. But if you just put all that nonsense aside and watch the movie you'll see a well crafted, well acted film.
Based on the true story of the German resistance and their last recorded attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler it proves to be quite thrilling. At first the movie seems to be a Tom Cruise vehicle with every shot highlighting the star's ever move. But as the film progresses it becomes more about the plot, the various things that 'could' go wrong and did.
Kenneth Branagh is hardly in the film but he gets shown in the promotional posters. He plays his tiny part really well. Watch his facial expressions as he sits uncomfortably in the military office, wondering whether or not his secret has been revealed. It's an awesome piece of acting.
Cruise is a lot more limited in his range. You can recognize his various looks from far away including his 'determined' face, his 'giving orders' face, and his 'struggling with something' face. The role allows him to show all that. His performance is adequate but pales next to his costars.
Great pacing, decent plot (surprisingly much of it really happened as it appears in the film) and great performances by all the supporting cast along with a decent performance by Tom Cruise.
8/10