The Operative (film)

The Operative is an 2019 internationally co-produced thriller film, written and directed by Israeli filmmaker Yuval Adler, based on the Hebrew novel The English Teacher (המורה לאנגלית) by Yiftach Reicher-Atir,[3] a former intelligence officer.[4] It stars Diane Kruger, Martin Freeman and Cas Anvar.

The Operative
Directed byYuval Adler
Produced by
  • Anne Carey
  • Jonathan Doweck
  • Viola Fügen
  • Michael Weber
Written byYuval Adler
Based onThe English Teacher
by Yiftach Reicher-Atir
Starring
Music byFrank Ilfman
CinematographyKolja Brandt
Edited byHansjörg Weißbrich
Production
companies
  • Black Bear Pictures
  • Match Factory Productions
  • Spiro Films
  • Archer Gray Productions
  • Le Pacte
  • Mountain Trail Films
Distributed byVertical Entertainment
Release date
  • February 10, 2019 (2019-02-10) (Berlinale)
  • August 2, 2019 (2019-08-02) (United States)
Running time
120 minutes
Country
  • France
  • Germany
  • Israel
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.4 million[1][2]

It had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 10, 2019. It was released on August 2, 2019, by Vertical Entertainment.

Plot

Thomas (Martin Freeman) is a British Jew who used to work for Israel's Mossad intelligence agency in Germany. He receives a mysterious phone call from Rachel (Diane Kruger), another former agent whom he had recruited and who had become a friend but disappeared. Summoned to a safe house in Cologne in order to help find Rachel and determine her motives, Thomas reviews Rachel's recruitment and past assignments with his former supervisors through a series of flashbacks.

Rachel''s last known assignment was to pose as an English teacher in Tehran and observe Farhad Razavi (Cas Anvar), heir to an Iranian electronics firm. Flashback scenes reveal Rachel's acclimation to routines of daily life so as not to arouse suspicion. Eventually, she meets Farhad, who asks her to give him English lessons, leading to a romantic relationship as Farhad also introduces her to Terhran's underground nightlife.

Rachel's personal involvement with Farhad allows Thomas to involve him in the smuggling of parts for Iran's nuclear program, which will work to undermine that program and make Farhad a target for recruitment as a Mossad resource. Some of related assignments put her own life in serious danger. Eventually, Rachel rebels against her assignment, changes her identity, and cuts off communication with Thomas until, returning to the film's present, she needs his help to return a life of her own without risking assassination because she might be a security threat herself.

Cast

Production

In February 2018, it was announced Diane Kruger and Eric Bana had joined the cast of the film, with Yuval Adler directing from a screenplay he wrote. Eitan Mansuri, Anne Carey, Michael Weber and Viola Fügen would serve as producers on the film under their Spiro Films, Archer Gray, Match Factory Productions banners, while Teddy Schwarzman would serve as an executive producer under his Black Bear Pictures banner.[5] In May 2018, Cas Anvar and Martin Freeman joined the cast of the film, replacing Bana.[6][7]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 10, 2019.[8] Shortly after, Vertical Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film.[9] It was released on August 2, 2019.[10]

Reception

Box office

The Operative grossed $0 in North America and a total worldwide of $1.4 million.[1][2]

Critical response

Although many reviewers appreciated Diane Kruger's performance and a couple of especially suspenseful scenes, critics were also disappointed in Rachel's unclear motivations, a lack of chemistry between her and Farhad, and an overly-complex plot structure. Guy Lodge, reviewing the film at the Berlin Film Festival for Variety, remarks " . . . the general shape of the plotting is too recognizable to keep us entirely on edge, despite the stoic, furrowed-brow dedication of the cast,"[11] while The Hollywood Reporter complained that Kruger "needs more textured material than she's given in this choppy espionage thriller."[12]

On the film's American release, Ben Kenigsberg, in The New York Times, described the film as offering "a few suspenseful sequences, some interesting nuts-and-bolts details of espionage work and a good lead performance en route to an unsatisfying ending."[13] Critic Christy Lemire gave the film two out of four stars, writing that "the overall sluggish pace and prevailing feeling of ambiguity ultimately make “The Operative” an unsatisfying, frustrating experience."[14]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 41%, based on 32 reviews, and an average rating of 5.11/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Diane Kruger delivers an appropriately steely performance, but The Operative pursues a forgettable mission that fans of the genre will find all too familiar."[15] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 47 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[16]

References
  1. "The Operative (2019)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  2. "The Operative (2019) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  3. "The English Teacher : Philip Simpson : 9780143129189". www.bookdepository.com.
  4. "Mossad flick 'The Operative' goes beyond politics - Israel News - Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
  5. Hipes, Patrick (February 9, 2018). "Diane Kruger & Eric Bana In Talks To Star In Spy Thriller 'The Operative' – Berlin". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  6. Vlessing, Etan (May 1, 2018). "Cas Anvar Joins Diane Kruger in Spy Thriller 'The Operative' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  7. N'Duka, Amanda (May 4, 2018). "Martin Freeman Joins Diane Kruger In 'The Operative'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  8. "The Operative". Berlin International Film Festival. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  9. Hearing, Bruce (April 4, 2019). "'The Operative' Starring Diane Kruger And Martin Freeman Lands At Vertical Entertainment". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  10. Boone, John (July 8, 2019). "Diane Kruger Is a Rogue Spy in Too Deep in 'The Operative' Trailer (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  11. Lodge, Guy (February 10, 2019). "Berlin Film Review: 'The Operative'". Variety. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  12. "'The Operative'" Film Review Berlin 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. October 2, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  13. Kenigsberg, Ben (August 1, 2019). "'The Operative' Review: High on Espionage, Low on Surprise". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  14. Lemire, Christy (October 2, 2019). "'The Operative'". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  15. "The Operative (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  16. "The Operative Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
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