Tom Cruise is on the verge of a big comeback, I know it might be hard to believe, what with him being low in public opinion because of his beliefs in Scientology, which in effect, caused him to be dumped by Paramount Pictures, who have made the bulk of his films for over a decade. He was given a big pay-off from Paramount, what did he do with the money?? He bought his own studio!! Yes, he went to MGM, and came back owning United Artists!!
He's revived the studio, (whose future was unclear after MGM was bought out by Sony), but he's already been making films, the first from the revived studio was Lions for Lambs, directed by Robert Redford, who also stars alongside Meryl Streep and Cruise, which got a mixed reception. However, Cruise has been working on a bigger film, and he's brought in Bryan Singer, best known for The Usual Suspects, and superhero films such as the first two X-Men films and Superman Returns. Singer wanted something smaller and literally down to earth, and Cruise gave him this. Valkyrie, a WW2 thriller about an attempt to assassinate Hitler!!
The film stars Cruise as Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, a severely wounded official, who returns from North Africa to Nazi Germany. Upon his return, he soon finds himself in league with the German resistance, and planning Operation Valkyrie, a plot which will see Hitler assassinated, and replaced by a shadow government, Stauffenberg finds himself not only leading the operation, but he will also be the man who attempts to assassinate Hitler...
The plot sounds like one of those old fashioned WW2 films from the 1940's to the 60's/70's, you know, the ones that your Dad or Grandad like to watch on rainy Bank Holidays. ;-) But, this isn't the first time director Singer has touched upon the subject of Nazi's, there's also his little-seen and criminally underrated Stephen King adaptation Apt Pupil (1998), so he's obviously been keen to take on a real-life Nazi film as well, this one is shot on the actual locations these events took place on. Originally, the German government refused to give them permission to film in such places, but after being assured the film won't make the German's look bad, and they were only raising awareness of a little-known tale, they were granted permission.
As well as Cruise taking on the lead role as a Nazi, (hard to believe him playing one), Singer has also brought together one hell of a great cast to support Cruise. Singer has cast Carice van Houten, (from Paul Verhoeven's Blackbook), to play Stauffenberg's wife, and Thomas Kretschmann as the Nazi officer attempting to stop the plot. Also, Singer has brought together an EXCELLENT British cast, including Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard, Stephen Fry, Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh and Terence Stamp!!
It's hard to imagine a British cast all playing Nazi's, but Singer has made some good choices here, and they will do good in this film.
Trailer here!!
Anyone looking forwards to this film?? It should make a change from recent war films made, where it's mostly Allied troops fighting the Nazi's, in this case, it's a German resistance trying to bring down Hitler, and there was a big resistance in the war, all over Europe, this is only one such tale. Cruise is a very good actor, which many people forget, because people think his beliefs in Scientology have made him bad, this is untrue, all he needs is the right project, and despite criticism of him playing a Nazi, early world claims he is very convincing. After alot of messing around the film will be released in America on December 26th 2008!! Just in time for the Oscars!!
It'll be good to see such a good director a Singer do something small scale again, after nearly a decade of superhero films, you never know, it could win him an Oscar...
It sounds like a nit-picking reviewing, claiming it plays it safe...
