Valkyrie

Bryan Singer’s first non-superhero movie since 1998’s Apt Pupil, Valkyrie follows WWII German soldier Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) as he leads a rebellion designed to remove power from Adolf Hitler’s regime. Despite the obviousness of the movie’s outcome, Singer generally does a nice job of infusing Valkyrie with bursts of palpable suspense – although it’s hard to deny that the almost egregiously talky opening 45 minutes will test the patience of certain viewers. It’s consequently not surprising to note that one’s enjoyment of the film is directly related to one’s inherent interest in the subject matter, with the initial influx of expository dialogue exacerbated by a pace best described as deliberate. Singer’s expectedly solid visual choices – coupled with the supporting cast’s superb work – plays an instrumental role at nevertheless drawing even the most abecedarian viewer into the storyline, and there ultimately does reach a point at which Valkyrie essentially morphs from a slow-moving historical drama into a relatively brisk thriller. The sequence wherein von Stauffenberg attempts to surreptitiously leave a briefcase filled with explosives by Hitler’s feet stands as an obvious highlight, yet – to the credit of screenwriters Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander – the latter half of the film has likewise been suffused with a number of tense, genuinely enthralling set pieces that effectively carry the proceedings through to its inevitable conclusion. Despite the film’s myriad of positive attributes, however, Valkyrie finally can’t help but come off as something of a minor disappointment – as the talent on both sides of the camera and the intrinsically fascinating premise seem to promise a more consistently electrifying piece of work than the final product is able to deliver.

*** out of ****