The Debt
A handful of great performances and a nifty shuffle in pace from time to time make for a tense, yet always watchable, film. Its more ponderous moments might put off some viewers, but it's worth sticking with.
The hype...
'The Debt' has been on the shelf for a while, having been shunted up and down the release schedule for the best part of 12 months. That's never a good sign, and the subject matter might feel a little too familiar to those who have seen Spielberg's 'Munich'. However there is a great cast on board and if it can escape its own trappings then there could be something rewarding at the end of it.
The story...
In 1997 ex-Mossad agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stephen (Tom Wilkinson) get some shocking news about one of their former colleagues. David (Ciarán Hinds) has been off the radar for many decades, but his sudden reappearance is sure to open up old wounds.
In the mid-1960s the trio worked together on top secret mission that saw them hunt down a Nazi war criminal. The younger incarnations of Rachel, Stephen and David (played respectively by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas and Sam Worthington) are dedicated to the cause, but events around them spiral out of control and emotions and romance muddy the waters.
When returning to Israel, the team are welcomed as heroes but there is a dark secret that will continue to haunt them all their lives. With David and Stephen unable to finish the mission, it's up to the now-veteran Rachel to put things right.
The breakdown...
Our concerns that this would be no more than a rehash of 'Munich' proved unfounded, 'The Debt' is a different proposition entirely.
It's a story about living with the consequences of a decision taken many years ago, and trying to put it right. It's not the grand, political landscape that is in focus, rather a more confined story about three individuals struggling with the guilt they are holding onto many years after their mistake.
As the younger characters in the film, Sam Worthington and the ubiquitous Jessica Chastain held our attention even when the film slowed to a crawl. Worthington has rightly been the recipient of criticism for some lazy performances in blockbusters over the last few years, but he's excellent as a conflicted young man thrust into the front line.
We're feeling pretty smug right about now having picked out Chastain as one to watch at the start of the year. She has gone from strength to strength and her performance here is perfectly measured to show a vulnerable yet determined woman who has so much to deal with.
When Mirren picks up the baton at sporadic moments throughout the film, there is a great sense of continuity between her and Chastain. There isn't quite the same connection between the male cast members, but then the focus isn't so heavily on them so it matters only a little.
The film stumbles slightly towards the end when an over-dramatised conclusion to the otherwise believable story threatens to derail things, but events are reined in just in time.
A compelling and well-acted movie that has a well earned sense of importance to it.
The verdict...
The film is understandably heavy going in places, but it's surprisingly well acted throughout. Of course we know the likes of Mirren and Wilkinson can do this with ease, but even the usually wooden Sam Worthington turns in a memorable performance.
Rating: 4/5
'The Debt' is due to be released in the UK on 30 September. Certificate: 15
