Valkyrie (2008, Blu-ray released May 19, 2009 – MSRP $39.99)
I think I’ve got a lot of Tom Cruise baggage. That must be it. I’m not sure if it’s the scientology, the Nicole Kidman-break-up or the uber-fake, aggressively-jolly persona he puts on for the media but damage has been done to my perception of the man. And that damage, of course, carries over to my desire to see him in films.
So, there I am, holding the Valkyrie Blu-ray in my hand, considering whether it might not be better to pass the disc off to someone else for review, when my roommate storms in, “Is that Valkyrie? Oh, sweeeet! Put it on!” And just like that, it was out of my hands.
Clearly I can’t be left to make these movie-watching decisions for myself. Valkyrie is phenomenal and I’m glad I had the chance to see it. Let me be more specific – the Valkyrie Blu-ray presentation is phenomenal. The film itself is quite wonderful, able to wring suspense from a plot whose ultimate conclusion we’re intimately familiar with (The story is based on real events and follows a conspiracy by officers of the SS to kill Hitler. Do they succeed? Uhhh…) What I found striking about the experience was how it was able to completely win me over and make me forget about my preconceptions of film and star. I’m not just talking about the filmmaking chops of director Bryan Singer and his accomplished cast and crew here but raving about the overall quality of the disc. It looks vivid, colourful and full of detail, sounds clean, punchy, dynamic and really assists in bringing the film to life for home video. I’m finding more and more that when a Blu-ray disc is well produced, transfered with care and given the sparkle of something freshly minted I become more immersed in the experience. In fact, I’m finding more often than not that my home video experience is superior to that of my theatrical. And in this case, it was enough to make me forget that I was watching Tom Cruise.
Valkyrie is a strong film on it’s own, despite the awesomeness of the disc. Cruise does a remarkable job, disappearing into the injured soldier turned conspirator role (portraying a man he bears a striking resemblance to) and holds his own against powerhouse performances by the likes of Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard and more. Equally remarkable are the commentary tracks, one of which sees director Singer and Cruise entertaining the notion of changing up the United Artists logo, a company now owned by Cruise. The package of extras on the disc is simply outstanding: The aforementioned commentary tracks, a handful of featurettes and sit-down interviews capped off by a brilliant two-hour History Channel-style look at the history of the nazi party and the officer’s conspiracy to remove Hitler from power and save Germany, Europe and the world from his tyranny.
[...] both films are worth recommending. But while Valkyrie was a tale of Nazi officer’s rebellion (read my review here), Defiance is all about a couple of ordinary citizens whose struggle to survive leads them to [...]
Glad you liked the movie…I thought it was a really well-crafted suspense thriller, grounded by a remarkable performance by Cruise.