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Author Topic: Valkyrie (2008) Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 11-22-2008 12:43 AM                     Arclight Galleria in LA, auditorium #4 I was quite disappointed with the presentation here. The theater itself has been very nicely renovated, the seats are comfy and they even have Kinoton projection...but the presentation suffered. The entire movie was ran out of focus, despite the obvious projectionist peering out the window. The film was dirty at the reel changeovers, even though this print had never been ran before. The aperture was knocked noticeably off center causing a huge fuzzy edge on the left side of the image. Every time there was even a hint of something with a moderate level of bass, the drivers bottomed out and farted. (There was no real low end to the sound system in the first place either.) The focus was uneven from side to side, the xenon lamp needed to be changed and the picture was terribly shaky (part of this was certainly the printing, which screamed Deluxe Toronto). Despite all of those distractions I must say I really enjoyed this movie! For those not in the know (and who slept through history classes), this movie is about a group of German officers who plotted to kill Adolf Hitler to take over the military and government. The pacing is just what it should be with solid performances and a surprising amount of suspense. No spoilers here, go see it. 4.5 out of 5 stars  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 11-22-2008 02:51 AM                        I am glad this one stacks up. I am disappointed that it is flat, but what can ya do?  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-22-2008 04:40 AM                     Make a statement and run it in scope anyway.  |  IP: Logged Kurt Zupin Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 989 From: Maricopa, Arizona Registered: Oct 2004 posted 12-24-2008 06:12 AM                     I agree with the above, it should of been in scope. I've read a lot of early reviews and people talking about how Tom Cruise ruins this movie. I really didn't see that, I thought he turned in a solid performance as well as the rest of the star studded cast. Bryan Singer does a great job moving the story along and it really dosen't drag. I really can't say much more then it s a good movie and worth seeing. 4/5 It really isn't your usual holiday fair but its a refreshing change of pace.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-27-2008 11:30 PM                     I agree that this should have been filmed in scope, but Singer chose to shoot in 1:85 aspect ratio (with no reason on the choice unless to make it look authentic in a pre-anamorphic time period), and since the majority of the filming took place in Germany, Singer used Arriflex cameras with Zeiss lenses.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 12-27-2008 11:45 PM                        I was just made aware that Tom Cruise plays a German dude. WTF?? Not only is that like having an Australian play an American Revolutionary War fighter, he doesn't even try to do a German accent. WTF?? Tom Cruise must be a horrible actor. What's next, playing a Japanese samurai, also with a perfect American accent? I would find this incredibly distracting.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 12-28-2008 12:04 PM                     The opening of the movie is in German and then they transition to English. I didn't think it would work when I heard about that, but I had no problems with the transition or the rest of the movie being in English. If anything it made it less distracting.  |  IP: Logged Kyle Anderson Film Handler Posts: 86 From: Tyler, TX, USA Registered: Dec 2005 posted 12-28-2008 05:02 PM                     quote: Joe Redifer he doesn't even try to do a German accent. unconfirmed rumor, but i heard that they had to refilm a lot of this because he/they did try it out with a german accent, but it sounded so bad they reshot.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-28-2008 05:12 PM                     quote: Brad Miller The opening of the movie is in German and then they transition to English. Kind of like The Hunt For Red October? It was VERY effective how they did the transition in that one.  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 12-28-2008 07:47 PM                     Actors speaking with accents is not more authentic. Cruise speaking English with a German accent is not authentic. Authentically he would be speaking German without an English accent. Everybody knows they were playing native Germans so accents are unnecessary to indicate the nationality of the characters.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 12-28-2008 09:06 PM                     Remember Kevin Costner and his "Robin Hood" accent back in 1991 - how horrible that was? Sorry, even though Tom Cruise is a good actor and get into the films he's acting in, he just doesn't have the personna to be that character that he's portraying... ..now, Dustin Hoffman can do this hands down without a hitch... quote: Joe Redifer What's next, playing a Japanese samurai, also with a perfect American accent? What annoyed me about "The Last Samurai" - he just couldn't be a believable person. Now, in "Eyes Wide Shut" as the doctor, one could almost see him as that role in real life..  |  IP: Logged Justin Gorka Expert Film Handler Posts: 174 From: High Wycombe, England Registered: Apr 2006 posted 12-29-2008 04:24 PM                     There is nothing more irritating than a German speaking to a German(in an English language film) than "Vee hav vase ov making you talk!". Know what I mean. In Germany they have as many diverse accents as we do in the UK (and I assume the US). So why is it wrong for an actor to speak in his native accent when playing as a native?  |  IP: Logged Tyler Potts Expert Film Handler Posts: 159 From: Anderson, SC, USA Registered: Sep 2008 posted 12-29-2008 08:22 PM                       I feel something of this magnitude of history should be made by that country. I don't know how I'd feel if World Trade Center came out two years ago as an all German film. I love German movies, I feel everyone should see Goodbye Lenin and Downfall at some point in their lives, but can easily pass on Valkyrie. With this I kept thinking, I know him from Pirates of the Caribbean, he was in V for Vendetta, there's that cross dressing comedian... and Cruise's "Heil Hitler!" caused the audience to start laughing. Then I was confused seeing Christian Berker playing Colonel Mertz von Quirnheim as he looked just as he did in Downfall as Dr. Ernst-Günter Schenck. I think Downfall's actors were so spot on resembling their characters it was eerie, Valkyrie's just seemed Hollywood.  |  IP: Logged Christian Appelt Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 505 From: Frankfurt, Germany Registered: Dec 2001 posted 12-31-2008 10:28 AM                     There have been two German films on the subject, made at the same time by different directors: DER 20. JULI (1955, dir. Falk Harnack) IMDB: Der 20. Juli ES GESCHAH AM 20. JULI (It Happened On July 20th, 1955, dir. Georg Wilhelm Pabst) IMDB: Es geschah am 20. Juli I agree with you on the WTC movie, but sometimes it can be an advantage if a story is told by someone with an "outside vision". Some of the most famous movies on American life were written and/or directed by foreigners, like Alfred Hitchcock (SHADOW OF A DOUBT) or Billy Wilder (THE APARTMENT).  |  IP: Logged Carey Barber Expert Film Handler Posts: 143 From: Newport News, VA, USA Registered: Jan 2003 posted 01-02-2009 10:59 AM                     I really enjoyed this movie... The pacing was good, keeping you entertained. All of the principal actors did a good job. The film itself looked and sounded good. I am also very interested in this period of history. Even though Tom Cruise's public persona is rather annoying, he is a decent actor and does a good job here. (In my experience, people sometimes have trouble separating the two, as if you cannot be talented AND an annoying twit.) I do wish that this movie had been in scope!!! Grade: A-  |  IP: Logged

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