Valkyrie (Bryan Singer, 2008)

ValkyrieSinger’s thriller about the 15th and last known attempt on Hitler’s life, despite some much-exaggerated negative buzz, is much better than I expected. Once you get past Tom Cruise stranded amid a sea of British voices playing Germans (which, frankly, isn’t that hard), the film is a diverting and entertaining bit of suspense, all the more impressive given that most people with even a modicum of knowledge about World War II know that it won’t turn out well. (Hollywood Jewel 16, Waco, TX)