I am not a fan of Tom Cruise butd I don't hate him too. Though no one can deny that he is a one good looking man and actor. His personal life may be too much exposed latetly, like the images of him jumping on the couch , or scientologyst and many other personal things , but those things aside, he is a great actor. His last movie , Valkyrie, prove that he is a great actor. He let people to see the other side of him as actor. Not as a hot shot pilot, sport agent, or a man that can do many impossible things. He played a German Colonel Stauffenberg who tried to kill Hitler.
I've always intrigue with the story behind the WW 2. I remember the first time I watched Anne Frank. And the images inside the NAZI's camps. It was terrifying, I was young when I first saw the movie. It was not the best memory I got, but I am glad I watched the movie , as sad as it is, it is an eye opening for me, and it is a part of history.
My first encounter with NAZI's logo was from my favorite movie from all time :The Sound of Music. I remember I asked my mom about the logo in front of Captain Von Trapp house when he pull the Nazi Logo down and tore it apart. And when the boy shout Hi Hitler! I wonder who and what is it?
My mom told me that Hitler is a bad man that excecute women and children put them in a poisonous gass room. I remember I asked her if Hitler is still alive? I was so scare that time.
My favorite novels , most of them are taking sets in the WW2 background. About Jews and the Nazi's camps like Dachau and Ravensbruck. Stories about survival and the lost during the WW2 are the one that can made me shed tears. It's a heavy sadness to read about these people there.
Same with VALKYRIE. It was not a movie for everyone, or a movie that will entertain you, not the one that you want to watch to have a good time with friends. The story is more like physiological thriller , the sad story, the story behind the German's war, the people that is trapped in that war, this movie is based on a true story and it is a history lesson . Some critics said that Tom Cruise is not the "star" in this movie, that is true. He played the key player of the "team" and if I saw this movie during my school year, man....it will help my history test of the WW2 :-D. So if you have a school age children that are studying about WW2 this will be a great option. But let's be honest this kind of movie needs a big name actor to sell, if Tom Cruise didn't starred in it , how many of us want to go and see the movie about the failed assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler.? But this is a good one....tragic and sad but it is part of history.
