Now Available to Rent: An American Trying to Act German

So, "Valkyrie," the movie about an assassination plot against Adolf Hitler, is now available to rent. Here's a kinda-sorta spoiler: Hitler survives the attempt on his life. On a more serious note, this massive production from Bryan Singer, whose exemplary work on "The Usual Suspects" has yet to be outdone in his filmography, features some stellar performances by Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, and Tom Wilkinson, among others, all surrounding a Tom Cruise who seems to interrupt the story with his weak performance which leaves you thinking, "Hey, that's Tom Cruise!" instead of the more desirable "I'm enveloped in Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg's plight." For a better World War II espionage movie, consider 2006's "Black Book" from Paul Verhoeven; it'll leave you wanting more all the while remembering resonant images long after the picture ends.