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Cinema Voyage - Michael Pearson

This blog is PRIMARILY about movies. Some dvd and some that are still in the theater. Also, links are provided on some movies if you decide you want to purchase it. Also, I write and read quite a bit. So, you may, from time to time see a book review here from an up-and-coming author or an interview with one. If you have a book that you have written, please don't hesitate to contact me if you want an unbiased opinion. I would be happy to read and review what you've written. We should value our creative people more.

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Review - Valkyrie

March 8th 2009 10:38

Bryan Singer in my opinion was very brave taking on Valkyrie as he did. Hitting his high in 1995 with The Usual Suspects and with the box office success of X-Men and X-Men 2 continuing his legacy, his career is well and truly guaranteed.

Billed with Tom Cruise as lead actor is problematic in itself. Maintaining controversy wherever he goes, his spotted career is not necessarily enough to guarantee bums on seats. The secondary cast however reads as a whos who of interesting character actors including Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp and Eddie Izzard.

One of the problems facing Singer's movie is that having a script based on the real to life plot against Hitler is that most (if not all) of the moviegoers already know the outcome. To have it threaded together as a thriller in my opinion took most of the thrills out of the movie. As a historical movie, I felt the variance in the accents very offputting although the action itself was tightly constructed and effectively played out.

Tom carried the lead role of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg well in a non-forced and believable performance although I would hardly say that this role would have offered much in the way of a stretch for his acting ability. When he is good - he can be very good as shown in Magnolia and his most recent comic turn in Tropic Thunder.

This was not a bad movie overall. I just felt it would have worked more effectively as a telemovie. The appearance of Kenneth Branagh prompted me to recall the 2001 UK telemovie Conspiracy which while did not cover the same story, recreated the conference in which the solution phase of the holocaust was devised. The telemovie was recognised internationally receiving all kinds of accolades including nominations for AFI awards, BAFTAS, Golden Globes and Emmys. Valkyrie itself was nominated for a VES (Visual Effects Society) Award - need I say more!

Voyage Review: 3/5

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Thriller

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Comments

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Comment by The wonderful Peter Yang

March 8th 2009 12:03

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Do, you know who played Hitler?

Comment by Michelle Sweeney

March 8th 2009 12:38

Competition Queen

Hitler was portrayed by UK's David Bamber. You may know him from the tv series Rome where he played Marcus Tullius Cicero.

Comment by Lady Henrietta Muddling

March 9th 2009 06:11

Potter in a Harry

It was a totally unmemorable film. I watched it just for the hell of it, and thought it was a poor director's version of Schindler's List.

The film industry is full of individuals who will make a film for money, and no other reason. This was one of those films.

It's a bit like Orble. It's full of individuals who will write anything for votes or karma.

This was not a bad movie overall.

Wrong. It was a piece of shit. Get real with your movie reviews and slam a piece of shit when you see it. You obviously know how to diss the diss about movies, so diss. Don't fall into the trap of writing for a virtual audience and trying to please them all. Say what you truly think and forget the votes and karma.

Kind Regards. (that's the PC way of ending a comment. It means nothing, because it's not real).

Comment by Michelle Sweeney

March 9th 2009 09:21

Competition Queen

Totally agree that people make movies for money - and let's face it - many people enter the industry just for that hence the straight to dvd releases! But I actually didn't think it was a bad movie overall. As I said I thought the directing was well played out in regard to the overall story line and the subject matter was interesting enough for me to sit through it. Being that Hitler plots have been made into movies and telemovies over and over again shows that it has provides an interesting focus for movie goers and film makers.

The casting may not have been as effective as it should and I don't agree with all of the director's choices but overall I definitely wasn't one of the worst movies I have seen.

This is an average movie in my books hence the average rating - not particularly memorable as you say. But hell I've seen a lot worse than this!

Comment by James Rickard

March 10th 2009 22:00

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I think I'm going to wait for the DVD of this one. Here in the States we had a similar telemovie by CBS in 1990 called , "The Plot to Kill Hitler." They should get points for originality with that title!!!! It starred Brad Davis and Madolyn Smith,