[PhotoChick]

Wow. I cannot tell you how much I liked this movie. I really really recommend it to just about anyone, but especially if you're at all interested in history.

After coming home, I did quite a bit of online research (yes, that's why I'm a geek) and from everything I can find, it's quite historically accurate, down to many of the things said by various participants.

Initially, when I came out of the movie, I told DH that the only thing I found slightly distracting about the movie is that Tom Cruise is always Tom Cruise to me - no matter how well he is acting, I have a hard time seeing him as anyone other than Tom Cruise. However, after more research and seeing actual photos of von Stauffenberg, it's scary how much he and Tom Cruise look alike and I can see why he was the central figure of the movie and how von Stauffenberg *was* the driving force behind this series of events.

Aside from that, Kenneth Brannaugh was fantastic, even Eddie Izzard in the small role he had was good. But the biggest thing: Bill Nighy was *brilliant* as General Olbricht. I have always admired him as an actor, but I really think in this he was utterly amazing. I don't know if this movie will get an Oscar nod, but if it does and Bill Nighy isn't nominated for a Supporting Actor role, then it will be a crime.

The cinematography was beautiful and spot on for the movie - always something I notice as a photographer. And although you know what the ending will be, there's still a good bit of tension and suspense as you wait to see how the plot will play out.

Seriously, I don't rave about many movies. I watch a LOT of movies and I'm pretty picky. This one is worth seeing. It's worth paying full price for, IMO.

This one rates a thumbs up from me. I'll probably wind up buying it when it comes out on DVD.

.

[JulieJ08]

Interesting. Maybe I'll see it sometime then. Because without that review, my only thought is that Tom Cruise and Acting Well don't belong in the same sentence . So I would never have considered it.

[PhotoChick]

Heheheh. Yeah. I am not a big Tom Cruise fan ... not because I don't think he's a semi-decent actor, but mostly just because he's *so* always Tom Cruise. I can no longer separate the person (and all his weirdnesses) from whatever role he's playing. And I have to admit that I had to force myself to quit seeing him as Tom Cruise during the movie.

One problem that I did have was that although he lost an eye in combat in Africa, there was NO scaring on his face at all. W/out the eyepatch, you'd never have known. But God forbid you mess up Tom Cruise's face in a movie! That little detail pulled me out of the movie a few times.

But I think all the other actors really made up for it.

.

[Shannon in ATL]

DH and I both want to see it as well, but I'll admit I was a little hesitant about Tom Cruise in the role... good to know it is worth seeing!

[Schumeany]

I really want to see this movie because I am a history buff and I know this story, but my husband HATES Tom Cruise...utter loathing on a silly level. So dragging him to it will not be easy. Maybe I'll make him watch the kids and go with a friend.

I'm not a Tom Cruise fan. He can act, but I find myself watching him on the screen thinking about the fact that he made his poor wife give SILENT BIRTH. That is so against the idea of using your voice to control pain, naturally grunting through contractions and pushing, that it boggles the mind. The rest of the weirdness, including the no such thing as post partum depression, irritates me, but SILENT BIRTH...I can't get passed it. I think it is the mother of three thing...

[EZMONEY]

ssshhhh....they'll hear you

[junebug41]

Saw this today, LOVED Kenneth Brannaugh!!! I was surprised at how un-annoyed I was with Tom Cruise. I'm going to be doing some research as well.

I have to say, I fell in love with his sidekick guy. And his final scene... wow. Just, wow.

I really liked how they kept the energy up throughout the film by focusing on the actor's facial expressions. So powerful.

[nicolen]

Is there anyone here who's a Tom Cruise fan?

I would like to see the movie - I'm very familiar with the story as I did a paper on the German resistance/anti-**** movement during WWII as part of my degree - but yeah, Tom Cruise is really putting me off the movie.

Kenneth Branagh and Bill Nighy are always fantastic to watch and I'm pleased it sounds authentic. I'll have to keep thinking about this. Maybe...

[PhotoChick]

The thing is that I actually used to be a little bit of a Tom Cruise fan. I don't think he's a horrible actor actually. But the weirder his personal life has gotten - or his personal viewpoints, I guess - the more trouble I have separating *him* from his characters. I actually think he's been fairly savvy as far as picking good movies to be in, and some of his producing choices have been quite good. But anymore I can't get Tom Cruise the couch-jumping-anti-medication-denial-of-depression-scientologist-freak separate from Tom Cruise the actor in my mind. And that bleeds over into everything I see him in now.

.

[nicolen]

Mmm, I guess. I was never really a big Tom Cruise fan, although I'll admit to drooling over a certain scene in Risky Business. I've enjoyed a couple of other movies he was in - A Few Good Men is the one that comes to mind - but as a whole he's not really someone whose movies I've enjoyed. And just don't get me started on the jumping of the couch, depression can be cured by vitamins nonsense...

[stellarwbz]

It was a good movie. I kept dozing off though because we saw it at 11 oclock at night. Too me, the movie would have been much better if it was actually in German, with subtitles.

[river]

I don't like Tom Cruise and my dh hates him. But when this movie comes on PPV we will be watching it because of the subject content and our interest in history. Thanks for the review, I'm really looking forward to it now.

[jules1216]

my daughter and her guy friend went to see Valkyrie only because they were late for another movie...she hates history and neither were fans of Tom Cruise--they both thought it was boring and left...along with several others.

my son on the other hand while not a big Cruise fan, loves history and sounds like he would probaly have watched it to the end and then like Photochick done reserach...

When we took his sister and her friends to see Titanic, he and i were talking low about what was true and what wasn't, there was a mom with several girls in the row in front of us that had been to see the movie several times already actually joined us in our row to hear what he was saying. He did cry at the end but not because of the whole love story but because it gave you a visual of all the people that were lost. As many times as he had read books and watched documentaries, the enormity of it had never really got to him.

[JackieRn]

Originally Posted by JulieJ08

Interesting. Maybe I'll see it sometime then. Because without that review, my only thought is that Tom Cruise and Acting Well don't belong in the same sentence . So I would never have considered it.

My thoughts exactly.