Roxy And Nimmi's...
M.O.M
(Movie of the Month)
Yes folks, I'm back with my May's Movie of the Month. If you recall, which I'm sure no one does, back in April, I started a Movie of the Month special. I'm a bit late, but I present you, May's Movie of the Month. I'm teaming up with Nimmi, who undoubtedly has impeccable taste in films.
So without further ado, I present you my M.O.M. You must all watch my recommendation, or risk angering God (who will then condemn you to watch KaSu love scenes for the rest of the eternity). Alright, so since I didn't see any great films in the theater this month, I'm going to recommend a DVD rental instead. You must rent, or else woch out. 😡
VALKYRIE
Starring: Tom Cruise 😳
And a bunch of other talented actors, whom I'm sure you do not know of. 😆
Based on a true story, Tom Cruise plays a German officer (Stauffenberg), who is questioning Hitler's regime and that he was leading Germany to the path of destruction. During a British air raid he is injured badly, loosing an eye, his right hand and two fingers on his left hand. He can no longer serve on the front line and is sent back to Germany. Stauffenberg is recruited in a resistance against Hitler. He derives 'Operation Valkyrie', which was to make the assassination of Hitler look like a SS plot, and get the army to launch a coup to 'protect' the Nazi regime. The film is split into three major parts, the planning, the assassination attempt and the attempted coup.
Like World War II itself, the full story of the assasination plot is long and intricate and cannot be fully told in the confines of a two hour feature film. There are certainly many peripherals to the story - its tentacles ran deep into the Nazi diaspora.... thousands were executed or "disappeared" to say nothing of the mixed motives in those Germans wishing to see Hitler dead.
Although the outcome is known and the movie develops rather slowly in the beginning, it manages to create a highly suspenseful and darkish-intense atmosphere that keeps you captivated until the end. Complains criticizing that Stauffenberg was "in reality" more charming and not as stiff as TC's interpretation, are niggling and banal at best. The movie does not focus on the private, psychological side of Stauffenber, but on his leading role in the assassination plot planned and executed amidst the "heart of darkness'....
I think this is a suspenseful, beautifully made historical thriller with a remarkable attention to detail. In an effort to be accurate the Jews are never mention because in fact the attempt to assassinate Hitler had nothing to do with that. The real reason? The war had turned against the Germans, it was clear that they were entering a down spiral and Hitler's madness was at the center of that. Regardless of the fact we know how the story ends, the movie manages to be a gripping tale based on real events
Bottom line? The story is riveting, and even though the outcome was already known (at least to anyone who had a rudimentary knowledge of WWII), the excitement level was sustained by not really knowing the precise timing of events or, more importantly, who would be spared in the end. Oh, and Cruise certainly deserves special praise since his commitment to the role is tangible and remarkably intense.😳
Jhanak
