Tom Cruise in "Valkyrie"
courtesy of MGM Home Entertainment
“Tom Cruise Bounces Back”

Many people thought Tom Cruise’s career was in the toilet after he jumped on Oprah’s sofa and then made a movie about a plot to kill Hitler. The movie was titled “Valkyrie” and it is now available on DVD and should prove popular here.

When Tom Cruise decided to make a film about a historical plot to assassinate Adolph Hitler many were skeptical of its possibility of success, to say the least. Few thought audiences would want to sit through a movie when they knew the final outcome (“Titanic” anyone?). Cruise went on with his plans for “Valkyrie” and the movie proved to be better and more entertaining than anyone suspected it would be.

The fascination lies with the performances and the insight behind the plot to rid Germany of Hitler. Cruise plays Col. Stauffenberg, a wounded hero of World War II. In the first few scenes he loses an eye, a hand, and several fingers on the other hand. After these injuries Stauffenberg begins to work in earnest to get rid of Hitler. He has become horrified at his tactics and wants to show the world all Germans do not follow this man’s ideologies.

One of his earliest allies is Major-General Tresckow (Kenneth Branaugh). This man has already attempted to kill Hitler but his plan failed. Now he is ready to try again. They are joined by General Olbricht (Bill Nighy) and Ludwig Beck (Terence Stamp) among others.

They try to recruit General Fromm (Tom Wilkinson) but he remains cool to their plan. He doesn’t reveal their strategies but he doesn’t endorse them either. The group headed by Stauffenberg has to work around him.

It is amazing how much suspense can be generated by a plot such as this even when you know it doesn’t work. The suspense Director Bryan Singer creates is palpable and you will be on the edge of your sofa s the minutes tick down to the assassination attempt taking place.

Cruise is very good as the dedicated Colonel. He has the intensity necessary for the role, plus he has an on-screen presence that causes you to watch his every action and reaction. He does not attempt a German accent, but his clipped way of speaking is appropriate to the role.

The rest of the cast is uniformly good. Branaugh, Nighy, Wilkinson and Stamp create vivid characters who each play an integral role in the plotting. Carice van Houten plays Stauffenberg’s wife Nina and though she is only on screen for a brief time she does make an impact.

“Valkyrie” is not a great movie but it is more entertaining than expected. Tom Cruise deserves praise for taking a story to which we already know the ending and making it suspenseful and dramatic.

>From the historically real to the world of science fiction we move with our next DVD “Infected.” Gil Bellows and Maxim Roy star as two reporters trying to get the story of a lifetime. They are searching for the real reason for the assassination of the mayor of Boston. A man has killed him because the man claims the Mayor was infected by aliens and would lead to the world being overtaken.

Isabella Rossellini is also on hand in this film and her presence is always a plus. The acting is solid even if the story is a little wild. But after all this is a sci fi story and not realism. Plus it has that “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” way of staying with you.

Brittany Murphy is the star of the new DVD movie “The Ramen Girl.” This is a film about cross-cultures and features Murphy as a woman on her own in Japan after she and her boyfriend break up. With nothing better to do, she decides to become a “ramen chef.”

Her teacher is a tyrant who is overly demanding, but he knows his business and can teach her to make ramen that will please everyone. And as she learns how to be a chef she also begins to appreciate the man and his knowledge.

Murphy is an excellent young actress. Her career somehow got stalled, but maybe this movie will help get her back on track. She certainly is appealing in it. And the Japanese locales add to the enjoyment.

William Shatner punk’d the entire population of Riverside, Iowa when he went there with a complete film crew and announced he was filming a huge movie in the town. It was to be a sci fi movie which would have a big cast and big budget. This movie reflects how the people of the city fell for the whole gag.

“William Shatner’s Invasion Iowa” is a good-natured joke and doesn’t try to make the populace feel bad. It is just a trick that ends up giving the town some publicity which movie making is all about. Shatner is all over the place in this movie and manages to be convincing even when he is lying through his teeth. So watch this “reality” show gone wild “William Shatner’s Invasion Iowa.”

Rugby is the sport of choice in “Forever Strong,” the story of a young man (Sean Faris) who gets into trouble and lands in jail. He has been a star rugby player for his father’s team but now he has disappointed his father (Neal McDonough) and himself.

In jail he comes under the tutelage of a prison ward (Sean Astin). He gives him a chance to play for the Highland Rugby team which is coached by Larry Gelwix (Gary Cole). Gelwix is a tough disciplinarian but he is also fair with his players. The movie follows the impact he and the team make on one young man who needs to turn his life around.

This is a very inspirational movie and an exciting one. Faris, McDonough, Astin and Cole are all great in their roles. This is one movie not to miss.
 

 

 

 

 

©2009 Jackie K. Cooper

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