Valkyrie (2008) - Movie Review

Story of the Non-Nazi German Army

Adolf Hitler, the German dictator whose name is written in the annals of recent history of the world as one of the most ruthless military leaders was an extremely lucky man. He survived not one, two or three but 17 attempts on his life and finally ended up killing himself towards the fag end of World War II.

The movie Valkyrie is the story of one such assasination attempt on Hitler's life. The story revolves around a patriotic German army officer Colonel Von Stauffenberg, who firmly believes that only Hitler's death will bring about an end to the war and prevent Germany from being reduced to ashes. He loses an eye, his right hand and two fingers of his left hand in the war and is seen as an ideal German Army Officer by Hitler.

Tom Cruise plays Stauffenberg very convincingly and is well supported by David Bamber (Adolf Hitler), Bill Nighy (General Fredrich Olbricht), Tom Wilkinson (General Fromm) and others. The recreation of the true incidents that took place during July 1944 is very convincing. Bryan Singer has extracted the best out of each and every member of the Valkyrie's cast.

The story starts with Stauffenberg arguing with his superior officer about the importance of taking his men home safe. Few minutes later his battalion is attacked by the allied airforce during which Stauffenberg is grievously injured. He returns to Berlin and meets with other disgruntled officers who believe that if Hitler would lead to Germany to destruction and mass murders in Europe. The rest of the movie details the plot to kill the Fuehrer and how it is executed. What happens after that and how the entire team of conspirators along with Stauffenberg are arrested and shot dead.

This movie is one of the many attempts by the Hollywood directors to clean the image of Germany and its people. The film spiritedly attempts to show that only a small section of the German people was behind Hitler in his mindless carnage of Jews and that there was a large majority of Germans who did not approve of his ways.

An effort that has not gone in vain, I'd say.

Whip It - Movie Review

Roller Derby and Teenage Rebellion in America

Spinning down the arena on eight wheels is not easy especially when there there are many others out there blocking your move. It takes courage, speed, agility and determination to accomplish this and achieve points in a potentially dangerous sport played predominantly by young women - Roller Derby.

Whip it starring Ellen Page of Juno fame, Drew Barrymore, and Kirstin Wiig is a movie that celebrates roller derby during an age when the roller skating itself is in serious decline across the US. With youngsters getting interested in console gaming and virtual play skating rinks across the US are struggling to sustain themselves and keep afloat. Roller Derby is a much less respected sport and is often considered a violent sport where women beat each other up. In popular perception it is the sport of tramps, drug addicts and losers.

Whatever it maybe the Whip it team has been able to present Roller Derby as a contact sport as intense as American Football. The movie centers around Bliss a teenager in small-town Texas whose postal employee mom wants to make her a beauty queen. On the contrary Bliss gets attracted by Roller Derby and starts seriously practicing for the sport. Her petite frame and determination enable her to make it into one of the teams.

The rest of the story is a short broken romantic fling she has with a wannabe rock star she meets during one of the after-derby parties. Her intensely committed practice regimen, and of course the derby plays themselves. Don't dismiss this movie as some girlie flick, it is indeed as action packed as any of the guy movies I have seen. The action is not blood and gore, but inside the stadium sporting. Of course there is a liberal dose of fistcuffs between girls in the movie too.

Watch it, you will not be disappointed.