[01/11/2009] Valkyries have become a major part of my life these last few weeks. In addition to still fully enjoying (though moving slowly through) Valkyria Chronicles, I also recently went and saw Valkyrie with Tom Cruise. How that story hasn't had a movie made about it until now is mind-boggling. It's a fantastic piece of history that should have been told in film years ago.

Surprisingly, Tom Cruise was actually quite good. His performance wasn't as good as in The Last Samurai, and his American accent does conflict with his character a bit, but overall, he did a very good job in the role. One of the best parts of the film was actually a speech by Adolf Hitler describing the valkyries and their role in Norse myth. What made it particularly effective was the stark contrast between what the word was used for by the Nazis and what their mythological role was. It was heightened by the way that Stauffenburg and his men used it to bring its true meaning to light. It's very rare that symbolism that powerful occurs in the real world.

I also went and saw Gran Torino with Clint Eastwood. It's a fantastic movie as well, but what utterly surprised me was how damn funny it was. I was in stitches for half the movie, and there were several places where I couldn't hear the dialogue because the entire audience was in hysterics. Definitely not what I was expecting.

Six reviews this week. Enjoy. Next week you can look forward to at least two, possibly three, from yours truly.