Operation Finale Makes a Happy Ending Feel Sad

Operation Finale (2018)

Operation Finale was a very well made movie about Israeli agents capturing Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi behind the logistics of the Final Solution, in order to put him on trial. Cinematically, it was excellent, using camera angles and lighting to enhance every scene and the acting was superb. I think Ben Kingsley is one of the best villain actors, even if he doesn’t play them in very good movies, like Iron Man 3, The Dictator, and The Prince of Persia. He was perfect as Eichmann. I hated him every second of this movie. Kingsley’s ability to play two-face scum helped him as he tried to talk down his crimes to a game Oscar Isaac. Isaac, as usual, steals his scenes and is a likeable and flawed hero. I didn’t expect anything less from Kingsley and Isaac, but I was blown away by Nick Kroll’s great acting. It is rare to see him outside of a comedy, but he truly shined in Operation Finale, adding a needed relatable, human character. I hope this opens new avenues for his talents. There weren’t many flaws in the movie and part of it was the pace of the movie. It had a slow build to a very fast conclusion. There was easily 10 minutes that could have been cut without making a major impact on the movie. I was also bothered by how much time was spent humanizing Nazis, because, no matter what the president says, there weren’t very fine people on both sides. Beyond the humanization of monsters, Operation Finale was a great movie. I give it 15 of the 17 years it took to bring Eichmann to justice.