OPERATION ODESSA
If you’ve read the synopsis for Showtime’s latest documentary then you’ll have probably noticed that it reads a lot like a surrealist joke: - a Russian mobster, a Miami playboy and a Cuban drug dealer walk into a bar... What ensues isn’t a joke though, it’s the story of an oddball trio of charismatic villainous men who try to hustle the Russian mob, the Cali cartel and the DEA for a score of a lifetime by selling a Soviet submarine to a Colombian drug cartel for $35 million. It isn’t a joke, but by god, it is utterly bonkers. Â
Operation Odessa gets its title from the actual name of the DEA investigation at the time and is the latest offering from director Tiller Russell - the man who gave us the rather trite Mathew Broderick flick, Dirty Weekend, back in 2015, but then redeemed himself by delivering an expose of NYC’s filthiest cops in the ultra-brilliant documentary, The Seven Five.Â
Again Tiller shows that he is a major player when it comes to modern documentary making. Operation Odessa is slick in visuals that evoke the Miami-Vice era in question and his knack for setting a pace ensures that the excitement level is cranked all the way up to balls-to-the-wall. His greatest talent though is his brilliant ability to match the thematic tone to his subject. We saw this with the subdued touch present in The Seven Five, but deciding to apply a comedic touch to this already ludicrous tale shows he is a man who clearly knows how to translate an onscreen story to an audience.Â
It’s for you if you like: comedy, mob and cartel stories, 1980′s excess, or have a massive thing for Russian submarines.
Operation Odessa is currently available to watch on Netflix. Trailer below.