Valkyrie

Bryan Singer is steadily proving himself to be a competent but pedestrian filmmaker. Here is a talented studio lapdog making his reputation with by-the-numbers franchise products. Allow me to list the mainstream American directors under the age of 50 who have bolder, more daring artistic vision. You may safely pass over the next Singer release in favor of any of the following:

P. T. Anderson
David Fincher
Spike Jonze
Sam Mendes
Christopher Nolan
Quentin Tarantino
Darren Aronofsky
Steven Soderbergh
Richard Linklater
Robert Rodriguez
Rob Zombie
Wes Anderson
David Gordon Green
and a nod to comedy phenom Judd Apatow.

Valkyrie is a timid affair. Singer can handle villainy in tights but when confronted with the Führer is out of his depth. He seems to realize he has no tasteful solution for dramatizing the touchy subject matter, and so plays it very very safe. Thankfully this Joe Friday approach keeps Tom Cruise in check, denying him ascension into the Mel Gibson realm of megalomania.

It is by the way inexcusable for the international figurehead of a ridiculous cult of brainwashing hucksters to be in any way involved in a film about the Nazi regime. Epic fail, Bryan.