Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (1231)

Content

ClareR (5975 KP) rated Valkyrie (2008) in Movies

Jun 23, 2019

Valkyrie (2008)

2008 | Drama, History, War

6.9

(18 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Surprisingly good!

I will hold my hands up and admit that I can be very critical of films set in Germany and particularly during the Second World War. I’m a bit of a germanophile - I studied German language, literature and history at university. I read into the furore that surrounded the making of this film: the Germans didn’t want Tom Cruise to play the main part because of his affiliation with Scientology (Germans believe it’s a cult, and therefore want nothing to do with it), and Claus von Stauffenberg’s eldest son even asked Cruise to stand down from the role. They all had a rethink though, and decided that it was more important that this story was actually told. And I have to agree with them. There’s a belief that all Germans were complicit in the actions of Hitler and his National Socialists, but this isn’t true. What might be true, is that people were terrified that they would be killed for any opposing thoughts or actions - and they were right.
I was really surprised (pleasantly!) by Cruises acting in this. After my initial horror at the opening sequence where he was talking in German (my children asked if he would be speaking German throughout, and were fully prepared to go to bed early - they didn’t want to read subtitles for a whole movie, I didn’t want to hear the shocking pronunciation!😆), it really picked up! The British actors really made it for me (I could well be accused of bias, but well, I don’t care 🤷🏼‍♀️), and Eddie Izzard was the most surprising - I really need to stop being surprised that he can act well!
It’s a good film! We had a good family film night anyway, and I think it’s worth watching.

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Closed Circuit (2013) in Movies

Aug 6, 2019

Closed Circuit (2013)

2013 | Mystery

5.0

(1 Ratings)

Movie Rating

oday, we’re going to bring you something a little different from ‘across the pond’ in the form of the latest crime-thriller from

the United Kingdom ‘Closed Circuit’.

Directed by John Crowley, ‘Closed Circuit’ tells the story of a fictional terrorist attack on the city of London and it’s aftermath.

Staring Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Julia Stiles, Ciaran Hinds, and Jim Broadbent. ‘Closed Circuit’ follows two lawyers (Bana and Hall)

as they individually attempt to prepare the defense of their client, the lone suspect apprehended in the aftermath of the attack on a London market,

in most high profile criminal case in british history, They quickly learn though that all is not as it appears. As they discover they are being shadowed,

their every move monitored, and their pasts scrutinized, it soon becomes clear that no matter what the outcome of the trial is, it might not be

just their reputations that are on the line.

The movie is a fictional example of what unfortunately, has become almost commonplace in today’s world.

Terrorist attacks, manhunts, expanded surveillance, and it makes you ask yourself, Who is the biggest threat to us? Our enemies? Or those we trust

to defend us from our enemies?

‘Closed Circuit’ was well filmed and is cast be top-notch actors. However, once the movie gets past the very beginning it drags on for a while and has little

dialogue. Every line by the actors in the movie implies others hidden within others and is hard to follow sometimes unless you’re a conspiracy theorist.

I’d give the film 2 and a half out of 5 stars. It’s a good flick, don’t get me wrong. But it’s kind of a downer. Not exactly, an ‘escape’ from the summer heat.

Put it in in your queue for NetFilx.