Following the loss of an eye, a hand, and a couple of fingers during an air raid, Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise), a Colonel in Hitler's Third Reich, realizes he can no longer participate in the destruction and mass murders being carried out by the Fuhrer's SS troops. With several like-minded officers (Branagh, Nighy and Stamp), von Stauffenberg hatches a covert plan to assassinate Hitler (Bamber) and bring back honor to Germany. The historically known failure of the June 1944 plot hangs the story's interest on the thoughts and motivations of those involved and on the plan's details. Much of the action is restrained due to the nature of the career military officers being portrayed, but the suspense of the many near misses and close calls makes for an interesting second half.
In the right material - Magnolia, Born on the Fourth of July, Minority Report - Tom Cruise can be a powerfully vibrant actor. But there's a resonance, a gravity that some actors bring to the big screen that Mr. Cruise simply does not have. I like Cruise, but actors need ...Read More