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Tom Cruise (Mission Impossible, War of the Worlds) and Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men, Superman Returns) to star in and direct, respectively, a film about the failed 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler? It hardly seems a marriage made in heaven. Both are much more at home making films with big budgets and low cerebral aspirations. But while Valkyrie may have issues establishing its characters and its historical setting in all three dimensions, it does portray events with a surprising eye towards accuracy and is likely to provide a pleasant surprise for the understandably cynical viewer.

Colonel Stauffenberg (Cruise) is deeply disillusioned with Hitler's regime, even before losing his left eye, his right hand and two other fingers.  He is recruited by General Olbricht (Nighy) and Major General Tresckow (Branagh) to join a group of conspirators who are plotting to overthrow Hitler. Stauffenberg comes up with the idea of utilising Operation Valkyrie; a deployment of reserve troops designed to retain order in case a national emergency.  If he can kill Hitler, then they can deploy Valkyrie to stage a full coup d'état and stop the war. 

Sadly this isn't a film with too many layers. We don't get to know much about Stauffenberg; he starts the film squarely opposed to Hitler and that's as far as his character is explored.  Cruise plays the part well, as not a great deal is asked of him other than to look steely and determined. The motivations of our other players are left to be spelt out rather bluntly with some not so subtle sound bite dialogue, which leaves the viewer in no mystery as to what the film is really about and why it's such an important tale to tell. Subtlety is not on the menu...

But that isn't really what Singer or Cruise are about. And while the first half has its clunks, the second half roundly succeeds in creating an atmosphere of sustained drama and tension. The plan seems to unfold successfully in the wake of Hitler's assassination; an event only we know was unsuccessful. The supporting cast really comes into its own during this half of the film, as the plot sprawls out in all directions, and we get to learn a great deal more about many of them than we do about Cruise's Colonel. Eventually, the plan rests on the shoulders of two people, who have to choose which of their conflicting orders they will obey. We know the conspirators will fail, but they come so startlingly close. Perhaps it's the weight of history, but the final scenes really do hit home hard.

Valkyrie is no Downfall, it hasn't the depth or the intimacy. But though the film can't quite live up to the level of gravitas and significance it lays out for itself, it does manage to raise itself to a level of drama that is both engrossing and eventually, quite powerful.