‘Operation Finale’ is the true story of an operation that gave the people of Israel peace from something terrible they had suffered through. Interestingly enough, this film couldn’t be coming out at a more perfect time in the history of our own country. I’m not suggesting that we can compare our situation in the slightest but our national discord and division, at the moment, is felt in a few moments of ‘Operation Finale,’ especially when you realize how easy it is to influence others and turn a country completely around.

Writer Matthew Orton used as his subject matter the fascinating account of when Israel gets a chance for the first time ever to try, in open court, one of the evilest men ever to walk the earth. ‘For the first time, we’ll judge our executioner.’ Other Nazi’s, most famously Hitler, who were responsible for the atrocities of World War II, killed themselves before they could be captured but Adolph Eichmann (Kingsley), the architect of the ‘Final Solution,’ (the Nazis plan to annihilate the Jewish people), got away and lived a full life. By 1960 he had faded into the past and was forgotten by most of the world but not by Israel. They wanted them all to pay for what they had done.

Many of Hitler’s top officers fled to Argentina which is where our story starts.  Eichmann’s son Klaus (Joe Alwyn), unbeknownst to him, begins dating a Jewish girl, Sylvia (Haley Lu Richardson) whose family is hiding as German immigrants. He brings her to a Nazi rally and terrified at what she sees, she abruptly leaves. She passes what she witnessed along to her father, Lothar Hermann (Strauss), who then passes word to Isser Harel (Raz) whose skeptical at first but when given photographic proof, immediately pulls together a team to try and pick up Eichmann. Argentina will never give him up so capturing him alive isn’t the safest or smartest way to go but it would mean so much to bring him in alive and make him pay, once and for all, for what he had done. Can they pull this off? They have a simple plan that becomes quite complicated, which is what works to give the audience moments of tension, otherwise, you’re watching the story play out very heavy on the drama with little action. They capture Eichmann, not in a graceful way, but they do succeed and they hold him in a safe house until their plane is ready to go. Nervous already, as there are many sympathizers looking for them not to mention they’ll be in prison themselves if discovered, they learn not only has the plane been delayed but that the airline that agreed to help the mission gets wind of its true purpose and doesn’t want any part of it. Before they’ll agree to let them board, they insist Eichmann give them a signed letter stating that he is going willingly to stand trial.

Israeli operative Peter Malkin (Isaac), after losing a sister and her family to the Nazi’s, takes it upon himself to be the one to do whatever it takes, even to befriend the beast, to get the signature. Instructed not to speak to Eichmann because he, ‘convinced Rabbis to fill the trains himself.’ The leader of the team will try but warns there’s no getting through to someone who has little humanity. Malkin gives it his best. This is when Kingsley goes from one spectrum to the other, appealing to his captors’ good senses and eventually using them against him. Isaac and Kingsley have wonderful chemistry and their scenes alone makes the film worth a watch.

A drama such as this can be somewhat slow but ‘Operation Finale’ keeps you engrossed with not only good dialogue, the issue and the acting but the assignment itself. They show enough of what the Jewish people truly went through, something the world at the time didn’t believe was happening, that at the end, learning of Eichmann’s fate, it made you want to stand up and applaud the team that made it all come together. Hearing Eichmann say, ‘You and your lying press will just try who you think I am.’ Was a bit too close to home but hopefully, people do learn from history and no other country will allow something like this to ever happen again. See the film. It’s powerful and it’s also important that you do.

The nominations for ‘Darkest Hour’ alone will make you want to bolt to the theatre and see it but spectacular are the performances of Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas.  Now that I got that out of the way, let me introduce the film by saying that there is a particular audience for it.  If you love history and if you love war pictures, well, the behind the scenes drama of war, this could very well be one of your favorites for the year.  It’s the best of its kind to come along in a long time.  Gary Oldman gives an exceptional Oscar-worthy performance and for that alone, it’s well worth your time.

It’s long at two hours and five minutes but only a few times do you feel its length.  The film centers around a very short period of time in 1940 during World War II.  With Nazi soldiers breathing down their necks, Parliament makes a decision.  The Prime Minister of England is hoisted from his position for being too weak with Hitler, but they struggle with knowing that quite a crisis will befall his replacement. They now toil with who that replacement will be.  Who can handle the evil that Hitler has shown himself to be?  They need someone strong and, as you already know, decide to give Winston Churchill a try though many have their doubts.

We go heavily into the life of Churchill during these days.  We even see him in bed, as he demands his breakfast, to get to know him more.  It’s easy to see that he’s gruff with everyone he’s around, his wife and his secretary, but for some, it’ll take a while to see another thing… Churchill is played by… Gary Oldman!  It really is Oldman peeking out from behind a pound of makeup and camouflaged beneath tons of padding to make him more believable.  He’s outstanding and watching this on the big screen will allow you to absorb the performance that much more which is something I truly hope you do.  He deserves that much, and you’ll be the richer for having witnessed it the way director Joe Wright (Atonement, Hanna, Pride & Prejudice) meant for you to see his portrayal.  If you’re not aware of the importance of who this man was in the grand scheme of things and in the larger picture of ‘what could have been,’ this movie can serve not only as a captivating piece of history or reminder for you but a cautionary tale of how close we once came to no longer being who we are today and how close things still can escalate to put us in that same position.

Churchill kept his wits about him and saw that England was done for sure if Hitler wasn’t stopped.  He had a broad strategic approach and unlike the previous Prime Minister, he knew the situation couldn’t be met with talks of peace.  He realized Hitler knew nothing of peace.  He approached the United States for help but was sadly turned away and as Hitler got closer, he had another political battle.  He had to convince his own party that fighting was the only thing they could do if they were to survive the assault on their country.  He went to the people of England and put it to them, in a scene you won’t soon forget, and got his answer.  Fight.  As the enemy swarms the shores of Dunkirk, Churchill calls on all of England to help and is on his way to victory.

Darkest Hour is remarkable and I recommend you get your ticket early and get to the theatre to see this TONIGHT!  You’ll be moved, you’ll be that impressed and I think you’ll agree… Oldman is on fire in this film.  His supporting cast is equally as good.  You’ll be thoroughly entertained.  By the way, after seeing this movie, one might feel compelled to watch Dunkirk.  It’s only logical that you do.  Though they feel quite different because they’re made by different directors they are perfect for back to back viewing.