Last fall, back when Bryan Singer’s latest film was slated to open in July of ’08, I scoffed at the movie’s first trailer as being too high-toned and Oscar-baity. Interestingly enough, now that Valkyrie’s release date is smack dab in the middle of awards season, the new spot looks more like a potboiler than a tradition-of-quality period piece. Frankly, I like the new approach better. The true story of Operation Valkyrie would probably feel heavyhanded as a “courage in the face of ultimate evil” narrative, but as a thriller about a band of rebellious officers trying to bring down Hitler, it sounds a lot more interesting. Sure, it runs the risk of coming off as “Nazi kitsch,” but at least that would have some flavor. Will 2008 be the year that Tom Cruise regains his movie-star mojo? Hard to say, but I’m definitely more curious about Valkyrie than I was before.
