Of the many historical questions raised by “Valkyrie,” the most pressing is this: if General Erich Fellgiebel, the head of the German Army Signal Corps, really had looked and behaved like Eddie Izzard, just how grave a threat would the Nazis have presented to world peace? In Bryan Singer’s new film, Izzard, clearly enjoying every stride in his polished, knee-high boots, does indeed play the officer in question, who oversaw communications going into and out of the Wolfsschanze, or Wolf’s Lair, the Führer’s woodland redoubt.
Kind of catty, but I get what they meant about Eddie.
“We ARE Germany...”
- Hauptmann Otto Heidemann, THE BLUE MAX
I went to the theater thinking of how I'd review "Maverick Being on Hitler's Six" to ya'll and prepared for another attempt to revise history to fit the liberal PC slant of the day. I went wondered how they'd somehow blame George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for the plot to kill Adolf failing. My mindset was ripe for Tom's attempt at a German accent to be like Kevin Costner's take on talking Brit for maybe the first 30 seconds or so of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. My entire being was set for an abomination to make fun of and ridicule to high heaven!
Instead, I was transported back into a plausible Nazi Germany where Tom Cruise actually portrayed a believable character from history. Having been a military collector many years, I was astounded at the correct detail of the Nazi uniforms and decorations. Even to the point of having the mounting threads shown on the right uniform breast where the ribbons would be worn. I cannot recall any war film before that went to that level of realism.
The special effects were outstanding but not overpowering. The real Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg of true history lost one eye, his right hand at the wrist and the outside two fingers on his left hand. In the film this was all shown-- repeat 'shown' in a very realistic way as Tom's Stauffenberg struggled to button a button, use pliers to crimp a detonator and even to cock an automatic Walther PPK pistol with only one hand minus two fingers.
I have said on numerous occasions that the only film Tom ever impressed me in was his second film role in Taps where he played a gung ho teenage military cadet in love with the romantic mechanics of war. Since then I've made fun of him always playing Tom "I'm a Super Star!" Cruise playing whatever role or film was handy. Even in his currently Golden Globe nominated Les Grossman role in Tropic Thunder, under the not-so-fat-suit, fake excess body hair and bald makeup, it was Tom playing Tom the Super Star being an over the top movie exec who believe his Hollywood reality was the true reality.
Tom's Oscar nominated role of Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July was the same, Tom playing a cool antiwar guy that showed how criminal the Vietnam War was for all his lefty chums. Nothing of what little of his acting that I saw of his these many years was ever worth of the price of admission!
That is until today. I have to say I am honestly totally in awe of how good Tom Cruise was in an really, really excellent film that for even the few obscure flaws I found, was one of the best I've seen in years. Tom Cruise gave, in my humble opinion, the very best acting of his career. He was not Tom Cruise, he was Claus von Stauffenberg for a full two hours. I would have no objection at all to him being given an Academy Award for this role. Had I a vote there, it would be his this year.
Of course, even saying this, I fully expect to find nothing has changed in the way Tom Cruise will continue on with his life and such as defending the Scientology line of faith in defense of the recent death of John Travolta's son not being due to L. Ron Hubbard's fantastic joke on the followers of his made up sci-fi jumble of a religion spawned from thousand year old aliens. Tom will still jump on and off couches on talk shows and be his obnoxious, arrogant self in interviews. Nothing in his lifestyle will change and I fully expect his coming films will go back to his old style, but tonight, I have a wonderful time watching a wonderful film where he did a wonderful acting job.
The small 4-plex here in Corsicana has maybe seats for 200 in each theater. When I went in ten minute before film time, there were two others beside myself. By the time the film started, there were nine of us in all. At the end of the film, we all applauded. That has never happened here, never.
I saw the movie tonight. It is excellent. I picked up on one reference to concentration camps.
This, "Contrary to what the film repeatedly suggests..." is a bunch of BS from a reviewer with an ax to grind.
If you haven't seen it, see it.