Operation Odessa

Operation Odessa is such an unbelievably wild, entertaining documentary that the dullness of its title is a borderline crime against itself.

Mr. Russell has a fluid hand with the visuals, which are always clever-the "Miami Vice"-style graphics and pulse rate evoke the era in question, and the sense of heedless forward motion suggests the Cinema of Excess.

At times my mouth was agape at the audacity of these men's life choices.

As rollicking a documentary about heavy criminals as you get ... This is wild stuff. If you love the 'Cocaine Cowboy' oeuvre you'll hoover this up.