Operation Finale
In 1960 a group of Nazi hunters attempt to capture and debrief Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley)to try and ultimately bring him to justice for his crimes.
PRAISE: I remember reading an article about the children of high ranking Nazi officers and how they recalled them saying for the most part about their involvement in the extermination of what most historians estimate the total number of deaths to be 11 million people ,was that they were just doing their duty....job....for their country.
Eichman brlliantly portrayed by Ben Kingsley says this several times,and each time is more sickening than the last,absolutely showing how mesmerizing Kingsley's performance is.
High praise also to Oscar Isaac as Peter Malkin an Israeli secret agent, and member of the Mossad intelligence agency.
He has several key and almost overwhelmingly intense scenes with Kingsley,as they both try to one up each other with mind games.
In fact their scenes together work so well i began to wonder if this could have also worked as a two man stage play.
The job of the Mossad was to get Eichmann to do certain things that i wont reveal here but it plays out so well in the film because the group desperately try not to humanize him,they try not to make a connection and i thought it was wonderfully written and displayed.
I never felt like i was being manipulated by the film when it goes for some suspenseful moments that may not be factual.
There were much needed lighter moments that i appreciated.
It was nice to see several actors i havent seen in awhile in the film which included Peter Strauss and Greta Scacchi.
PROBLEMS:There were a couple of times when the music didnt match up to the serious themes of the film,also a few visuals didnt sit well with me because i felt this was definitely not the type of film for them.More for a movie like Mission Impossible or Fast & the Furious.
In the end i was moved and highly entertained by another piece of history that was given it's due in a respectful way.
Scale of 1-10 an 8½
PEPPERMINT
After her husband and child are murdered by a drug cartel,and the justice system fails her Riley North(Jennifer Garner) plots her own course for revenge and justice
PRAISE:Jennifer Garner is incredible as North.Showing raw emotion & toughness as a loving mother who becomes an avenging angel.
I love a good revenge flick,and when you add some originality...even better !!
There was a good bait and switch with a couple of characters that i didnt see coming.
Good one liners,action sequences,and kills...and ohhh boy those head shots !!
PROBLEMS predictable moments,some cookie cutter henchmen.I could have done without the jump cuts.Some characters were given big introductions but nothing really happened with them.
It borrowed a bit from the Batman legend....but maybe that belongs in the praise portion...ha ha
In the end this was everything the Death Wish remake should have been !!
Scale of 1-10 a 7½
This is how you do slow burn. With intriguing character build that culminates in a jaw dropping third act. I can't wait to watch Brawl In Cell Block 99 now.
squeeknessI'm a poor lost puppy
Lily Adler#forthecontent! 📹 (she/her)
DKDetectiveElementary, Dear Robin (he/him)
