“If history is “your deal”, then get ready to experience an intense game of “truth or dare” that you don’t want to miss a minute of…” – Kathy Kaiser, Matinee Chat
OPERATION FINALE – Rated PG-13 – 2 hrs. 2 mins.
Director: Christopher Weitz
Writer: Matthew Orton
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Melanie Laurent, Nick Kroll, Michael Aronov, Greg Hill, Torben Liebrecht, Peter Strauss, Joe Alwyn, and Haley Lu Richardson
As we are thrust into Israel, circa 1960, it seems that the notorious “Architect of the Holocaust” Richardo Clement – a.k.a. Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley) is alive and well, and living in Argentina without a care in the world. When his whereabouts are finally revealed to Israeli Mossad Agent Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac), and his fellow team members, the race is on to capture this monster, and bring him to justice in Israel.
Once it is confirmed that Clement is truly Adolf Eichmann, it seems that capturing him shouldn’t be too hard, but getting him out of the country to stand trial…and under his own free will, is a whole other story. As Malkin is forced to come to face-to-face with the atrocities this demon he is holding captive has inflicted upon his people, but his own family too – he and Eichmann shift to playing an intense game of truth or dare, which neither of them is prepared to lose…
I give OPERATION FINALE a rating between MUST SEE ON THE BIG SCREEN and WAIT AND CATCH THIS FILM ON DVD. Powerful, and very moving, Christopher Weitz has managed to Direct an intense, and very historically significant film for modern day. Isaac is perfectly cast as Agent Peter Malkin, as he brings a sense of depth and intricacy to every frame of this film. Kingsley is also sheer perfection, playing the loving family man Clement, as the perfect façade for the demon within that is Eichmann. And talk about an incredibly written script, Orton manages to share many of the details needed for the audience to become engaged in the historical significance of this material, without making this film seem extremely dull and impersonal. So, with all these accolades foretold, why not rate this film “A must see on the big screen”? Because, even though I was thoroughly entertained throughout, and the story line totally kept my interest the whole way through, parts of OPERATION FINALE seem to drag on for no apparent reason, making even this historically significant film, feel a little subpar. I also wish that Weitz would have shared more of the footage from the actual trial at the end of the film – which was actually televised worldwide back in 1962 – as to add to the importance of telling this story to the masses. So, if you enjoy Historically significant films as I, or if you are of Jewish decent, then I suggest, by all means that you head out to a theater near you before weeks end to see the award worthy performances of both Isaac and Kingsley throughout OPERATION FINALE. But if you aren’t a history buff, or of Jewish decent, then you might want to wait and catch OPERATION FINALE when it comes out on DVD, so if it seems to be getting too slow for you too, you can fast forward a few times, while still experiencing the significance of the Israelis finding this demonic man, and bringing him to justice…
Kathy Kaiser
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 