Gripping WW2 film despite some flaws

Rating: 7/10 (3 March 2011)

A good film about the Von Stauffenberg plot, the conspiracy that almost succeeded in killing Adolf Hitler during the later stages of World War II. It doesn't start very promisingly: things happen fast (we have Von Stauffenberg severely injured in a battle in North Africa, losing an arm, three fingers and an eye, and a few minutes later we have him joining the conspiracy, without explaining very well his motivations) and characters are introduced hastily without explaining well who they are. But as the movie progresses and we get into the plot itself (which was more than about killing the Fuhrer; knowing that that wouldn't be enough to end Germany's dreadful situation, they also have a complicated plan to take power and be able to sue the allies for peace in terms that would not be disastrous for Germany), it gets more and more gripping with a superb final hour. The mostly British cast here (among them, Terence Stamp, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson and Bill Nighy), acquit themselves very well. Tom Cruise, however, while not a disaster, is just not very believable as a German officer. Besides his limited acting range, his demeanor has always been very American, so he is just not very believable playing people from other countries. I can think of other actors who could have been great in this role: for example, Thomas Kretschmann, who plays a Major who has a key role in breaking the coup attempt, could have been a great Von Stauffenberg. Still, this was better than expected as director Bryan Singer (of the X-Men franchise) certainly knows how to make a gripping, entertaining movie. And the movie includes also some terrific aviation scenes using period planes.