2008. Dir: Bryan Singer. Starring: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson and Carice van Houten. ●●●●○
If you are going to watch Valkyrie I implore you to leave all your baggage at the door. Whatever preconceived notions you may have about the film they will not help your enjoyment in any way. Whatever your thoughts about Mr. Cruise or Mr. Singer or any other people involved in the making of this film they are irrelevant.
Instead you should go into the cinema with a clear mind and a fair capacity to enjoy this "b"-movie thriller and you will enjoy yourselves.
That is is a "b"-movie is perhaps open to interpretation. It's cast list may include the most famous man on the planet and a classy set of british vets but ultimately the film is about the most famous failed assassination attempt in history.
We begin by meeting Colonel Claus von Stauffenburg (Cruise) in North Africa, his battalion being slowly beaten back by the advancing brits. Von Stauffenburg writes in his diary - a fascinating segue from written and spoken German to english - of his lack of faith in the Nazi party and his attempts to recruit other senior officers to help him let high command know the party must be stopped. It's a ridiculous scene, because only a fool would write what he was saying, but it helps to introduce his high moral standards before he's shot to pieces (losing an eye, a hand and 2 other fingers).
We then move to Germany where Major-General Henning von Tresckow (Branagh) is stowing a bomb on the Fuhrer's plane. This fails to go off and some of the conspirators, though not the ones whose faces we know, are summarily rounded up.
Amazingly Satuffenburg is recruited to the staff of General Friedrich Olbricht (Nighy) a key member of the plot, and a new plan is put together.
The rest of the film follows the design, preparation and implementation of the assassination attempt. It's a utterly simple plan - blow up Hitler and use the reserve army to take Berlin and thus control the Reich. Then use the momentum to put a moderate in power and ultimately end the war. The fact that we know the plot failed does little to reduce the tension built up during the film.
That tension is mainly created by the sparse and pointed script from Christopher MacQuarrie and Nathan Alexander, and also aided by an energetic score from John Ottman. Although there is a downside to this; the mood was built up and up throughout the film with never any sense of levity. I know it's a serious topic but every line seemed to be written, or at least performed, as if it were life or death. Thus making it impossible to really get to grips with these brave men.
Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise - but at least he's not doing a bad Tom Cruise impression (see Mission Impossible III). Perhaps he might have appeared to be a better actor if he didn't surround himself by masters. Bill Nighy as his cowardly co-conspirator and Tom Wilkinson as the oily Fromm, waiting to see how the coin will land before calling it, both turn in superb performances which if the film had had an effective campaign may have got some award traction going.
Stylistically the film was nothing special, other than a nice shot of a record, and perhaps this represent a bit of a step back for Singer. That's a shame as I like his sensibilities. His next film on imdb looks to be You want me to Kill him about 2 boys who strike up a friendship on the internet that leads to murderous results. This may be an interesting mix between Heavenly Creatures and Elephant, and it's certainly the sort of film I'd like to See Singer concentrate on.
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Valkyrie
Film News (31/01/09)
A couple of new films greenlit, another finds a new financer and an exciting cast coming together, and this is only the news I've picked up on this week.
Chrionicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader
So having been dumped unceremoniously by Disney it was thought that Dawn Treader, the 5th of C.S. Lewis' novels, 3rd film, might not happen. Until this week when Fox came up with a package to launch the venture. I realise the last couple have been pretty poor, and this one brings back the insufferable Ben Barnes as Caspian, but it's by far the best book and it all takes place on a boat so what's not to love.
Fully Automatic
Joel Silver is back back back. Just when you thought the buddy cop action thriller was dead Joeal has resurrected the Lethal Weapon series, only with a different name and new actors, and joins them up with a crack group of female vigilantes. Or some such nonsense. Imagine fast cars, witty dialogue and big explosions.
Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman's high successful fantasy novel, The Graveyard Book, will be brought to the screen by Neil Jordan. Surely it should be called the Graveyard Movie? It's all about a boy adopted by ghosts, and it's all being made in Blighty.
A Woman of No Importance
Amanda Seyfried, her of the funny eyes in Mamma Mia!, has joined the already announced Annette Bening and Sean Bean in Oscar Wilde's other classic. I'm not a big fan of Seyfried but at least it's a step closer to seeing Bening in this role.
Jean Simmons
Happy birthday to
Jean Simmons
80 today.
Time can be very cruel to great acting talents like Jean Simmons. Unlike the bigger stars of the 50's, like Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, Jean's no nonsense approach to hr performances and her less accentutated good looks mean she's been largely forgotten. However try to imagine anyone else giving Spartacus the love he needed to face the Romans and you'll realise how truly indespensible she is.
Friday, 30 January 2009
Out this Week (30/01/09)
Well, the votes are tallied and yes indeed it's Revolutionary Road that I'm recommending this week. Not that there's much competition, unless you're into multiply Lena Headey's or lots of music.
The Broken
Lena Headey (Brothers Grimm, 300) sees herself drive past in London. Naturally she doesn't just put it down to her imagination or make an interesting cocktail anecdote about it, instead she follows herself and finds she's in a thriller!
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
JCVD
Jean-Claude Van Damme plays an alternative version of himself in this meta thriller where not only is he losing all the good roles but he's holed up in a bank robbery but expected to act like a hero. Apparently this wasn't actually out last week, after all.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Luck by Chance
I may just stop writing about Bollywood films as it's highly unlikely, even in a post-Slumdog world, that I'm actually going to rush out and see one. This has an actor moving to Mumbai to be a film star.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Michael Sera (Juno) and Kat Dennings (The 40 Year Old Virgin) will both be enormous stars one day. Can someone give me a nudge when that happens.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Revolutionary Road
Kate and Leo's relationship literally implodes in this vivisection of a 50's marriage from Sam Mendes and the pen of Richard Yates. Doesn't get more exciting than this (although I won't be able to go as I'm short of funds right now).
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●●○
Tokyo Sonata
Japanese film investigating the effects of losing your job in modern society and how it impacts one family. Not a pleasant watch, then.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Victory
A cricketing version of Goal! Really. With lots of famous cricketers appearing in cameos and no famous actors within site.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Vanessa Redgrave
Happy Birthday to
Vanessa Redgrave
72 today
This Goddess of British cinema appears suddenly every couple of years and once again knocks the socks off the audience. She's currently rumoured to star in Ridley Scott's Nottigham, should the leaves ever be the right colour, I'm not sure who she'll be playing but it will certainly be an interesting portrayal.
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Trailers - Revolutionary Road
Yes, everyone else has already seen this, and it's opens here in the UK tomorrow (still haven't decided but I expect it'll be tomorrow's top recommendation), but I've been a bit quiet on the posting front. Three birthdays in a row and nothinge else. I've got a Valkyrie review in progress, but I've been so hectic I've not had a chance to finish it. Probably over the weekend.
In the meantime I'm sure a nice bit of Kate and Leo will brighten up your day:
Oprah Winfrey
Happy Birthday to
Oprah Winfrey
55 today
Talkshow host, sometime actress and argueably the most influential woman on the planet. Amazing, isn't it?
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Alan Alda
Happy Birthday to
Alan Alda
73 today
It's hard to believe, but everyone's favourite M*A*S*H doctor is 73 today. Alan's next film is Nothing but the Truth about journalistic integrity and source anonymity. It was released in that States late last year, but failed to garner any Oscar traction. Let's hope we do get to see it here as Alan is always worths spending some time with.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
James Cromwell
Happy Birthday to
James Cromwell
69 today
James has recently made a nice career out of playing older statemen, be it George Bush Snr. or Prince Philip. Next on his agenda is Lyndon Johnson. Should it not work out with Obama I think Hollywood is hinting who should be next.
Monday, 26 January 2009
Personal News (25/01/09)
Albeit 24 hours late - another night involving fizzy pop yesterday.
The Bus
Rehearsals are now underway for the English Language premier for Lukas Barfuss' The Bus (or the Makings of a Saint). The play will debut at the Crescent Theatre, Birmingham on Saturday 14 March, and tickets can be bought here. This is certainly a play worth seeing; first produced in 2005, winning the Jury and audience prizes at the Moiheimer Theatertage, it looks at the issue of religion in the post atheistic society.
During rehearsals we have focused on our understanding of the characters and the journeys they make during the play. It's hard work, most of the characters hide behind a veil of lies and deceit disguising their true emotions except in periods of high stress or drunkeness. I'm looking forward to putting what we have discussed into practise.
Lifelong Yearning
Went through the second half last night, more cuts but not as many as in the first rehearsal. It's tough cutting bits, especially when the lines are as funny as they are in Lifelong Yearning, but it's important that the jokes seve the plot rather than the other way round. Rehearsals for Lifelong will probably be put on hold now until after Easter, to give us time to learn lines (not to mention the other projects many of us are working on).
Leadership & Culture
Auditioned (and got a part) for a corporate job on Thursday with Big Umbrella Media. It's a leadership video for an UK T&D firm and hopefully it will be the first in a series of films for them. Also Big Umbrella have done a number of high profile adverts so if they like me there's always the opportunity of more work from them. Woohoo.
