It may have been a mistake to watch Defiance in a double feature with Valkyrie. These two WWII movies could not be more different in tone, though both are portraits in bravery above and beyond reasonable hope. Where Valkyrie is very military and fawning, sort of, Defiance is gritty, earthy, trembling, and intense. [...]
As recently as ten years ago, Tom Cruise was an unstoppable movie machine, propelled by his aggressive perfectionism, gleaming smile, and legitimate talents into his box office golden boy slot. Then comes Scientology and his weird divorce and marriage, the loss of his long-standing Paramount production deal, and, with Valkyrie, he almost proved to [...]
Maybe you heard about some protests, related to the use of the word “retard” in this movie. Maybe you didn’t, but you were concerned/intrigued at the idea of Robert Downey Jr. playing a black man. (Well, playing a white Australian actor playing a black man.) Maybe you think Hollywood just offends willy [...]
