Valkyrie (12A)

Once you get past the accents it`s not that bad a film. And it `s quite close to the reality of the time. In fact, for a Tom cruise film, It`s very restrained which I think is good. The only bit I didn`t like was when an officer through himself infront of Cruise when he was about to be shot- that was very, very silly.

In case any are wondering if I'm an Armchair General... I have over 35 years active duty service in the Canadian Forces, and a very broad extent of experience throughout the world (except Antarctica!).

take your point Dave and agree entirely re. "Paths of Glory"

Get out more, blib? I'm out 6 nights per week. I do need a day of rest! I'm not John Lennon - I can't do Eight Days a Week. I agree with your last two sentences. Valkyrie is an excellent film (which doesn't preclude it could be better), and accents shouldn't interfere in the enjoyment of it. Another excellent film, in this case regarding the frustration of dealing with leadership, is Stanley Kubrick's 1957 "Paths of Glory" which starred Kirk Douglas and concerned itself about the Souain Corporal's Affair. "Paths of Glory" is based upon the true story of four French soldiers, under General Géraud Réveilhac, unfairly executed for mutiny during World War I; their families sued, and while the executions were ruled unfair, two of the families received one franc each, while the others received nothing. Sounds a lot like today. Just replace execution with Agent Orange. As for the 'what ifs' - that's called making a choice. Whether it's a choice about everyday things (Should I see Valkyrie tonight or the Pink Panther 2?), or extraordinary things (What if Yamamoto had invaded Hawaii? What if JFK survived Dallas? What if the July 20 Plot worked and Hitler was killed?), "what if" is part and parcel of decision-making.

Larry and Dave, I think you both need to get out more, preferably with each other but do us all a favour and let us know where you're going so we don't run the risk of bumping into you. Excellent film, forget the accents. so many "what ifs"

One of the best films I've seen in a long time. It's a very straightforward film about a bonafide historical event. Some critics have called the film boring. If the actors and script had leaned more towards the sensational; the critics more than likely would have said it was over the top. It is neither, but rather strikes a nice balance between drama and realism. I've never been a Tom Cruise fan; but I try to give any performer a chance to show what he can do. This may be the best work Tom Cruise has ever done. The whole cast was excellent; as were the other aspects of the film. Some of the settings were gorgeous; and for the most part, seemed quite authentic. They should, since many of them were filmed in actual historical locations. The greatest movie ever made ? Why, no, but good enough that it entered my Top Ten today. The whole cast and crew have my sincere respect and admiration. A single tear trickled from my eye as I witnessed the inevitable fate of the rebel soldiers.

I saw this film for my birthday treat and it was memorable. One of the best films I've seen in a long time.My husband also enjoyed it.

Americans spent the last eight years sitting on their fat asses and sucking up to GBW. They should shut the hell up mocking any resistance whatsoever.

this is better as a movie then all the award winners this year -shame about tom cruise though i nwish they had cast someone convincing as the baron -still it was more interesting then both button and slumdog and reader

Saw this yesterday... Historical accuracy and controversy aside, the film was interesting enough in that it offered a different kind of WW2 film than we usually get from Hollywood. Germans are typically confined to the bad guy roles in WW2 films so it was a refreshing change to see them portray the heroes this time around. However, as a film Valkyrie was let down by a lack of action or suspense. Perhaps developing the supporting characters and making more of the previous attempts on Hitler's life would have helped. (Where did Ken Branagh disappear to?) There was a lot more discussing of plans than actually carrying them out. This film is not M:I-4 as the trailer led me to believe. Still... it was nice to learn about a little known piece of history.