In "Valkyrie" - the fact-based potboiler from director Bryan Singer - Tom Cruise plays Claus von Stauffenberg, the real-life German Colonel who led the titular operation to assassinate Hitler.
Ok, let all that sink in a bit. Take your time.
"Valkyrie" follows the "Hunt for Red October" school of authenticity. Tom Cruise speaks a few lines of subtitled German before falling back on English, signalling nothing more than (a) Mr. Singer's lack of confidence in his star's ability to do an accent, or (b) his fear of alienating audiences with all them funny on-screen words.
From then on, each cast member is given leave to use whatever accent they brought to work that day. As a result, there's plenty of proper British english to conflict with Mr. Cruise's familiar, decidedly American cadence. Tellingly, only the "famously evil" characters (Hitler, Himmler, Goebbels) speak with German accents - 'cause, y'know, that voice makes American audiences mad.
It's hard to hate any movie in which Terence Stamp plays a German named Ludwig, and "Valkyrie" certainly has its share of reliable thrills. But Mr. Singer's loose handling of the period and Mr. Cruise's undeniable modernity make the film distractingly anachronistic. Imagine what could have been done with this story if it had been made with the careful authenticity that Paul Verhoeven brought to "Black Book."
Still, "Valkyrie" is a sturdy, if less than fully engaging, thriller. The script, by Mr. Singer's "Usual Suspects" buddy Christopher McQuarrie, and newcomer Nathan Alexander, is written with ticking-clock precision. And though the film's outcome is prescribed from the start (the mission, after all, didn't succeed), there are enough moments of intriguing near-misses to keep the proceedings suspenseful.
Fed up with Hitler's mounting illogic and disregard for the lives of his men, Colonel von Stauffenberg joins an underground cadre of German officers bent on assassinating their Fuhrer. Among the traitorous team are Bill Nighy as spineless weak-link General Olbricht, Tom Wilkinson, having a blast as slimy General Fromm, and Eddie Izzard (yes, Eddie Izzard!) as inside-man Erich Fellgiebel. Kenneth Branagh adds some heft early on during a failed attempt at blowing up a plane. As Hilter, David Bamber isn't given much to do but look sinister. The film's soundtrack does much of the work for him, almost referencing the Darth Vader theme everytime he walks on screen. Does Mr. Singer really think the audience needs help feeling animosity towards this man?
Colonel von Stauffenberg lost his left eye, right hand, and all but three fingers on his left, so Mr. Cruise - who typically relies on a steely-eyed stare in his films - is at a disadvantage. It's a tribute to the actor's continued star-power that he's able to sell the role as well as he does.
Bryan Singer is not at his best when he's paying homage. His "Superman Returns" (which I enjoyed) was stunted by its respect for the Richard Donner original. Likewise, his "X-Men" films never quite found their footing due to their reverance for the source material. "Valkyrie" is a throwback to Hollywood period pieces like "Where Eagles Dare," in which obvious actions take precedence over historical accuracy. Mr. Singer is a talented director, but it's time for him to find his own voice again. With or without an accent.
