Operation Finale Review

Happy Labor Day everyone! Or if you're not reading this on Labor Day, then.... have fun at work!

Today, I legitimately had nothing to do, just like on Labor Day every other year. So, I decided to go see a movie. I was either going to go see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Which I hadn't seen yet, believe it or not. This was intentional) or Operation Finale, a historical thriller that was released last week. I realized that one of these movies has grossed over a billion dollars already, whereas another one was more of a sleeper. So naturally, I decided it would be better to support something that would allow me to learn about some history (Always a plus for me!) rather than the 5th movie about dinosaurs and some dumb humans who just can't get it into their heads that they shouldn't have cloned them (check for that review in a couple of weeks). And my decision was a good one. 

No, not just good: a great one.

Operation Finale is about the carefully planned extraction of Adolf Eichmann in his hiding place Argentina by a team of Mossad agents in 1960, so that he could be tried for engineering the Final Solution and for the deaths of 6 million people during the Holocaust. However, this extraction proves to be complicated, as various roadblocks face the Israeli team and delay Eichmann's delivery. 

This is a phenomenally acted and well made thriller. Despite having almost no action, the film manages to be quite nerve-wracking throughout. It almost felt like a real life Mission: Impossible, except without the crazy action or over-the-top villain. It's truly amazing what these men and women were able to accomplish under so much pressure. Almost everything that could go wrong was thrown at them, but through courage and some small sacrifices, they succeeded. 

What's truly great about this movie more than anything is careful attention the portrayal of these people. Although some characters are put on the sideline, all of them feel like real human beings. Which is good, considering that these people were real and actually captured the Architect of the Holocaust. The two stars are definitely Mossad team leader Peter Malkin (Oscar Issacs) and the Nazi maniac himself, Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley). When the movie focuses on developing these two complex people of different backgrounds is where I think the movie excels the most. This is especially the case when we see them talking to each other, which is a large part of the second half. There's just this depth to both of them that makes some of the slower paced scenes where the two are conversing more intriguing. They are two people with different motivations and values (if you can even say one of them has any values) who have crossed paths and have to deal with one another for an unbearably extended period of time. 

Although many scenes are dialogue-focused, the film manages to build a steady amount of tension. It's not the EXTREME intensity that movies like Dunkirk or Mission: Impossible build up. Rather, it's more akin to a movie that came out almost 3 years ago: Bridge of Spies (I actually think they referenced the events that take place in that during Operation Finale). The tension does not rely on action scenes; it instead relies on its uneasy atmosphere and the fact that this threat was real to make the movie massively entertaining. And even if you're not feeling the intensity like I was, it will still be a very intriguing story. I mean, these were real spies! This was a real mission! So much was depending on these brave souls, and it truly is remarkable how they were able to capture the man who designed a method of killing millions of their people. 

And all of pieces for the jigsaw puzzle that is a great movie fit when considering that the performances of these two are some of the best I've seen all year. Ben Kingsley deserves at least a nomination for his thoroughly creepy performance of Eichmann. Oscar Issacs was also spectacular as the lead (but simply can't rival Sam Claflin in Journey's End). The supporting cast also nailed it, making it one of the most solid ensembles of actors and actresses I've seen all year. Even Nick Kroll (who played a character on Parks and Rec whose name I won't say because it's an explicative) was surprisingly great and believable.

A few final things I enjoyed were the cinematography and score. The way this movie was shot truly helps it stand out believe it or not. I'd go into it more, but I don't want to bore some people. Just see for yourself. And the score was surprisingly more interesting than I thought it would be. Many movies unfortunately have bland scores, but fortunately, Alexandre Desplat made a unique and intriguing score that you will probably be hearing more of come Oscar season. Also, this is unrelated to the quality of the film, but I also was happy to see a portrayal of Israel in film right after I visited it this summer. You must visit it if you can; it's truly a remarkable experience.

SCORE: 9/10 

I can't recommend this one enough. This is a story that is worth telling and a movie that is worth supporting in its box office run. This is a perfect movie for history buffs (like me, so I might be a little biased) and also those who simply want to learn about this incredible story.

Thanks yet again for reading my blog! If you have any questions about the film or anything else you want to say, please leave it in the comments below.