The Debt

This movie wasn’t really on my radar until I saw that it starred the great Helen Mirren, so I watched it as a double.  It’s not bad, although it’s also not memorable.

Synopsis: three Israeli spies track down a Nazi doctor responsible for countless deaths during WWII and plan on kidnapping him to bring him to justice.  Things don’t go as smoothly as they had hoped though, and a decision they jointly make will shape their future lives for several decades, until they have to take matters back into their hands.

Mirren is joined by the always excellent Tom Wilkinson, and Ciarán Hinds, who is good but has nothing more than a cameo.  Their three younger selves are played by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington and they all do a very good job.

The script is well written and the editing keeps the action going.  What I liked best about this movie though was its simplicity and the resemblance to the good thrillers of the 70s and 80s.  Maybe it’s the photography, maybe the script, maybe a combination of the two, but it works and it “feels” nice.

The Bottom Line: while The Debt won’t likely land on anyone’s Top Ten of the Year’s list, it’s a nice thriller with good acting.  The fact that it doesn’t just follow the typical Hollywood rules of a happy ending and a full-circle conclusion are a definite plus.

Grade: 7