One of the best high-octane and suspenseful thrillers I have seen in quite some time.

Rating: 7/10 (31 January 2009)

I walked into this film with little to no expectations and came out feeling much better for it for I had got just what I wanted: Pure and total entertainment with a story that drew me in almost instantly and filled with wonderfully executed suspense.
I am not a fan of Tom Cruise and I have seen few of his films and I most certainly did not come into this film for Tom Cruise but I was fairly impressed with his work in the film as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, the Wehrmacht Colonel who was notably instrumental in the conspiracy to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Cruise manages to invest himself devotedly into the role and I think it shows on film and thus I can only describe his performance as admirable for taking on such a controversial and demanding role.
The supporting cast that includes Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Terence Stamp, Kevin McNally and Tom Wilkinson portray their respective roles with the expected perfection that comes from these equally talented English actors. David Bamber who portrays Adolf Hitler himself is also very impressive who despite minimal screen time manages to be as eerily creepy and intimidating as the real Hitler himself.
The fact that the majority of the actors in this film do not use German accents never sparked a problem with me, for I would rather listen to them speak normally than feign a horrible attempt at a German accent.
Bryan Singer directs this film and manages successfully to make this story as interesting and thrilling as it could ever be on the big screen, the film is also wonderfully shot under his direction providing the dreary and dark feel of Nazi Germany with ease. Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander have crafted a wonderful script that has translated to screen very well but it is the suspense-driven aspect of it and the tightly-wound performances that hold the film together.
I would recommend the film to anyone seeking a well-shot suspenseful thriller but don't come into the film expecting a completely historically accurate documentary for you will most likely leave in disappointment.