The Infiltrator

Good movie a saw when I was a teenager.

The sad reality.

This film was exciting and very suspenseful. It kept my interest throughout. If you like Nazi-related films, you will want to see this one. I found it thought-provoking also in how it portrayed human emotions and sensibilities. It was a worthwhile view. When I originally saw it scheduled on cable, I intended NOT to watch it; I ended up catching a glimpse of it as I was switching the channels and became mesmerized.

The topic of Neo-Naziism has been dealt with ad nauseum. I originally felt that this would be another predictable re-hash of the subject matter. A few things attracted me: 1) the acting was really good; 2) the graphic visual images left no room for debate; 3) it was very well written.

It's definitely worth an inspection.

Based on the true story of Yaron Svoray, an Israeli freelance reporter living in the US. "The Infiltrator" recounts Svoray's infiltration of Nazi-sympathizers in Germany and beyond.

Oliver Platt plays Svoray, and does a good job in a very serious role. But Svoray's self-imposed mission, with the cooperation and support of the Wiesenthal Center is a Bunyonesques task, and, he is somewhat ill-equipped. If the film initially is to show us how direct exposure to the atrocities of Nazism might fuel unbridled fire within a person, Jewish or otherwise, then it fails in act one.

It's exposition regarding the state of Nazism today, is important, somewhat startling, and much more dramatic. That a Jewish reporter could infiltrate this infra-structure is somewhat unbelievable, but it serves to validate Svoray's passion.

All in all, the film struggles in no-man's land between documentary and thriller, battling to fill time between real life events. Curiously, actor Arliss Howard takes a major role as an Israeli agent-he will go on to play Mossad operative Peter Malkin in the bio-pic 'The Man Who Captured Eichmann (1996)".

Svoray's story is compelling, sadly the film gives us a less than satisfying conclusion. A worthwhile watch, nonetheless.

Now, I don't know about the guy Platt portrays in this film. I think it is based on a real life story, but I'm not sure all the facts. I do know that this movie makes you think a lot. There were points in the film where I was on the edge of crying. Platt plays this character wonderfully, and I think that he did an awesome job when it came to showing his horror as a jew when he would see disgusting acts by the nazis. In this movie, you're rooting for Platt's character all the way, and you find yourself asking the question...how can people be friends with this man, and then hate him because of his religious beliefs and ethnicity? It's a movie that makes you ask questions like these. It's one of the best movies of its kind in my opinion.

Yaron (Oliver Platt) is a Jew journalist assigned for a matter about Neo-Nazis in German. He poses of Neo-Nazi and the skinheads believe he is the representative of a wealthy American, who wants to sponsor a German Neo-Nazis groups.

This film is very scary, since it is based on a true story. It is almost unthinkable that, in 2004, there are persons having such a feeling of rage in their hearts against other human beings, just because of their religions or ethnicity. Oliver Platt has a great performance as a brave and audacious man. "The Infiltrator" is a very disgusting, but also a very important and highly recommended film about intolerance and racism. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): 'Infiltrator – Em Busca da Verdade' ('Infiltrator – Looking For the Truth')