A well told conspiracy thriller set during the second world war

Rating: 10/10 (20 June 2010)

It bothers me just how often Tom Cruise is screwed out of the recognition he should get for being such a truly talented actor. Even more so when he's in a film that's as well directed, well written and well performed as this film is.
This film is Cruise's best, and most understated, performance since Collateral and The Last Samurai. And to say that against the performances of this film's cast shows the kind of actor Cruise is. Straight from the beginning of the film with his being conflicted over joining the operation - the scene in the cellar with his family is particularly noteworthy for that and Bryan Singer's excellent skills as a director - to his recruiting. "I'm involved in high treason with all means available to me. Can I count you in?" Perhaps Cruise's best scene and a small example of just how good the writing of this film is. Chris McQuarrie's and Nathan Alexander's work is brilliant. "Any problem on this earth can be solved with the careful application of high explosives." Singer's directing of this film is as brilliant as McQuarrie and Alexander's writing. His handling of the different motivation of these men was very well done and made the story in my opinion. His casting - the actor playing Hitler was particularly well done. Other directors could learn from Singer's attention to detail - to the point where Cruise was standing in the exact spot the actual Stauffenberg was executed.
Valkyrie is the best film of 2008 by far and the fact that it wasn't nominated, or won, the Oscar's that it deserves shows just how sorry a state the academy is in.