Valkyrie (2008)

As the tide of World War II turns against Adolf Hitler, pockets of resistance within the German army begin to form. Badly wounded in the conflict, German officer Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) has seen the destruction wreaked by the Fuhrer's plans first-hand and fears that his beloved country's legacy will be forever marred by Hitler's lunacy. Recruited by a group of officers who are determined to assassinate their increasingly crazed leader, including Major General Henning von Tresckow (Kenneth Branagh) and General Friedrich Olbricht (Bill Nighy), Stauffenberg hits upon the idea of using an emergency plan known as Operation Valkyrie to wrestle control of the country from the Nazis. Key to the plot, however, is the death of Hitler, who must be removed before the coup takes place.

Knowing that the price of failure is death and the destruction of their homeland, the men construct an elaborate plan that will see Stauffenberg deliver a bomb to Hitler personally, hoping that in the aftermath of his death they will be able to negotiate a truce with the Allies.

It's testament to the power of Bryan Singer's gripping thriller that even with full knowledge of the outcome of the plot, Valkyrie manages to keep you on the edge of your seat until the bitter end.

While Cruise's American accent mingling with the plummy tones of the British cast may initially stretch credulity, as events progress, the naturalism of the performances and the sheer quality of the ensemble ensures an absorbing, nerverattling reconstruction of the ill-fated operation.

Along with Cruise's engagingly heroic Stauffenberg, his war wounds an ever-present reminder of the price of Nazi rule, there's also great support from a range of topnotch actors in brief but effective roles, including Black Book star Carice von Houten and German actor Thomas Kretschmann.

Far from being the disaster that many predicted following the controversy surrounding its troubled production, Valkyrie is an adept thriller that is satisfying in both its historical accuracy and the insight it offers into the heroism of those who fought for Germany by fighting Hitler.