The attempt to overthrow Hitler and his cohorts by rebellious German forces is recounted in Bryan Singer’s tense “Valkyrie,” starring Tom Cruise as the decisive Col. Claus von Stauffenberg. Shamed by atrocities committed by the Nazis, several high-ranking soldiers stage a coup, with von Stauffenberg positioned to eliminate the Fuhrer. The expansion of the secret group dedicated to the daring mission illustrates the urgency of dissent; Cruise, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard and Kenneth Branagh, among others, are finely utilized. The scenes depicting the colonel’s few interactions with the despot, chillingly played by David Bamber, are unsettling. Moreover, the ideals and indignation behind the uprising manifest tangibly and unmistakably early on. Visually, it’s mostly crisp and clean--a bit too clean sometimes, actually, that it feels unreal--but what the film sometimes lacks in grime and artistic chaos, it more than makes up for in clear, consistent storytelling.
“Valkyrie” will be in cinemas starting February 11th.
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