Throughout the history of time where man has walked the earth, there have been plenty of unspeakable acts committed against one another that defies rational explanation. Ripping a small portion from the history books is the biographical drama of the manhunt for the architect of the Jewish people’s darkest era in history. Operation Finale goes on a stomach-churning crusade to hold a monster accountable for these unfathomable acts against the Jews.
In the time following the Holocaust, a genocide in which over two-thirds of the European Jewish population where slaughtered, there were waves of emotion flooding the world, and in particular within the Jewish community. Shell shocked by the unspeakable acts of the Nazi regime, led by Adolf Hitler, Jews wanted justice to be served. Cowardice acts by the Nazis went as far as taking their own lives rather than facing persecution of their own. Still though, some ran and hid, not unlike rodents scurrying away from the light when discovered.
At the top of the list was Adolph Eichmann (Ben Kingsley), who had gone missing for over a decade. Often thought of as the mastermind behind the Holocaust, Eichmann would be the perfect individual to answer to these atrocities. Acting on a tip, Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac), Rafi (Nick Kroll), Hanna (Mélanie Laurent) and others hatch a plot to bring this fugitive to justice and force him to stand trail for the evil he has done. If this group is to catch him, they must do it in a foreign land that is sympathetic to the Nazi way while trying to outsmart an individual known for his great mind. What will the final outcome be?
The one obvious knock on Operation Finale is its pace. It’s very slooooowww and deliberate pace. I get that biographies, especially ones that deal with one specific incident in time, can drag. I mean face it, real life events are often boring and I’m willing to work with that. With that being said, director Chris Weitz and writer Matthew Orton should have found another aspect surrounding this monumental event to retain the interests of its invested audience. There are far too many lulls to maintain a high level emotional attachment, which will lead to boredom and the dreaded “watch checking.”
The dedication of these men and women that sought out justice for their Jewish brothers and sisters is exemplary, unfortunately the execution brought forth in the story contained within Operation Finale falls short of what would think was intended. Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac stand tall against one another in their adversarial encounter, but their chemistry isn’t enough to formulate a serum for success. Operation Finale is two hours of trying too hard to make a perfect historical drama while avoiding an semblance of action. Head into this one well rested, otherwise you may end up in a battle to stay awake.
