Imagine, if you’re willing to, being a survivor of a horrible massacre that’ll be synonymous with your race for years to come. You’re trying to move on and rebuild life after that horrible event yet there’s a part of you that won’t rest easy until the people behind the horrible event pay for what they’ve done. Then something happens you never expected to happen: not only do you know where one of the men who led the horrible event is, but you’re tasked with capturing him so he can pay for his crimes. Would you follow through with your mission? Would you take his life as a personal vendetta? Or would you listen to him, discovering what believes to be the side of the story people need to hear?
That is “Operation Finale” in a nutshell: a drama that takes an “Argo”-esque situation (a small team trying to accomplish an extraction mission behind enemy lines) and makes you fully understand the personal struggles of the Israeli team that is tasked with capturing the architect of the Holocaust, Adolph Eichmann, and sending him to Israel in order for him to answer for his crimes. It certainly has its cliche moments at times but in the end, the plot does a great job of keeping you engaged throughout the entirety of its runtime. There were even moments where I thought the film would slow down for the worst yet, thankfully, it kept the plot engaging with a steady amount of developments. Despite its setbacks, watching the team discuss who they lost in the Holocaust makes it super apparent that the story has enough emotional support to keep it from ever falling apart, especially when it gets to the actual mission.
That emotional support is certainly improved by two specific actors: Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley. The overall cast is really good but it’s the relationship between Isaac’s Peter Malkin and Kingsley’s Adolph Eichmann that really elevates the story and the mission. Peter lost his sister and her children in the Holocaust, using the mission (like the others on the mission) to redeem himself for not being able to save them. Eichmann is a man that believes he will not be tried fairly in Israel, saying that there’s more to his story than what they’re willing to admit. Despite being on opposing sides, Malkin’s approach to Eichmann is actually quite sincere and calm, using frank conversations to convince Eichmann that the mission is not solely out to punish him for the death of every Jew in World War 2. However, he must atone for his crimes and due to the nature of the massacre, Israel makes a lot of sense so it’s up to Malkin to take on Eichmann mentally in a handful of scenes that feel genuine, well done, and engaging. While neither are at their best in the film, both Isaac and Kingsley knock their scenes out of the park.
Unfortunately, while Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley are standouts in the cast, the biggest issue that plagues the film is the lack of character development. Despite having a cast of characters with relatable motivations and interesting backstories, the film does a bare minimum for the majority of the characters. This results in thin characters that are mostly referenced as “the Nick Kroll character” or “the only woman on the team” rather than vividly remembering their names and their personal reasonings as to why they’re on the mission in the first place. Granted, being on the team in order to avenge your fallen loved ones is a good start for a compelling motivation. It’s just not enough to be that memorable after the film ends, especially when several other people have that same exact motivation.
It also doesn’t help that while the film is decent visually, there is only one visual effect that is truly noticeable and distracting. It involves a younger Ben Kingsley, showing his character’s role in the Holocaust during flashbacks later on in the film. Unfortunately, whatever de-aging they did for him looks horrendous to the point where it actually makes him look older rather than younger. It’s comically bad to the point where I asked myself the point of such an endeavor, especially when audiences probably would’ve accepted modern Kingsley in those flashbacks anyway. Thankfully, the bad effect is in a small part of the film so it’s not distracting to the point of ruining the entire film.
Quality-wise, “Operation Finale” is the perfect in-between film. The final product is something between a low-tier Steven Spielberg film and a high-tier Robert Zemeckis film. Its story is relatable and compelling yet falls short in the characters department, even falling short for Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley’s characters. Besides that though, “Operation Finale” does a great job of putting you in the heroes’ shoes, showing you the importance of capturing just one man. Overall, it’s a film that isn’t a must in theaters though it is worth seeing when given the chance.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Y4_6PD0Z4]