Anthropoid

This is a competent remake of the 1975 "Operation Daybreak" film that tells the story of the assassination of Hitler's Czech leader Reinhard Heydrich. It's fair to say that this man was a pretty ghastly individual, behind much of the Nazi's policies of extermination and answerable only to Himmler and the Führer in the grand scheme of things. "Kubis" (Jamie Dornan) and "Gabcik" (Cillian Murphy) have been sent by the government in exile in London to kill this relatively poorly protected man, but their arrival causes considerable consternation amongst the local resistance. They fear, all too realistically, the impact that any attempt on Heydrich's life will have on the local population. Entire villages are likely to be wiped out and wholesale slaughter will certainly ensue. Their question is: is this just one act too far or is it just the message they want to send to prove they are not yet under the SS jackboot. It's a well crafted if a little slow iteration of this story of courage and I wasn't really sold on the two lead performances. They are adequate enough but somehow the sense of menace isn't as developed or palpable as with the frankly much more potent version from the mid 1970s. The conclusion is history, so there's not much room for Sean Ellis to manoeuvre, but he does manage to use a solid supporting cast to capture the determination of a population that realises more - and greater - sacrifices must be made if they are to regain their freedom. The film looks great, plenty of attention to detail and some fine Prague photography but it is just a little sterile for me. Worth a watch, though - just not great.

**_Riveting and sad Czechian tale of WW2_** This tells the true story of London sending Czech-born commandos (Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan) to Prague in late 1941 on a mission to assassinate SS-General Reinhard Heydrich the following May. He ranked in the top three or four leaders of Hitler’s SS and was infamously known as "The butcher of Prague,” not to mention he one of the principal architects of the Holocaust. The story is a mix of drama, suspense, war action and tragedy. It's not a typical WW2 movie due to the covert mission. It's more akin to "Valkyrie” or the fictitious "The Eagle has Landed,” which also features a standoff at a church. There are bits reminiscent of “Where Eagles Dare” as well, just minus the over-the-top elements associated with Alistair MacLean. The authentic Czech Republic locations are a plus. This really happened; and the Czechs paid dearly, as detailed. A previous version of the same story came out 41 years earlier called "Operation: Daybreak.” They’re both good, but I give this one the edge as the assassination attempt is more accurately depicted. After an exciting opening, events are understandably mundane for the next 45 minutes until the actual mission is executed; from thereon you’ll be glued to the screen. French Canadian Charlotte Le Bon is on hand as Marie. She went on to become a proficient indie filmmaker, as observed by 2022’s “Falcon Lake,” a lowkey coming-of-age tale. It runs 2h and was shot in the summer of 2015. GRADE: B+/A-