Mel's Review of the Debt
I had to give myself a day before writing the review for The Debt. I couldnât think straight right afterwards. I had a hard time assimilating what I had just experienced.
The Debt wasnât just a movie, it was an experience. I spent the entire movie tense and breathless. John Madden should be given major props for creating a film that keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entire two hours. Itâs definitely not a movie where everything is wrapped up in a little bow by the end.
Although Madden has mainly directed television programs, he has a strong track record with the movies he has directed (Shakespeare in Love, Proof). He is definitely a master at story telling and creating characters that you care about.
Iâm quite impressed and surprised that there were three screenplay writers (Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman, Peter Straughan), as I would normally think that the end product would be all over the place. The dialogue had such beautiful flow. I havenât seen the original version of The Debt (Ha-Hov) from 2007, but I think itâs safe to assume that they did the original justice.
The story, taking place mainly in 1966, focuses around three Mossad agents who have been given the task of finding and capturing a Nazi war criminal in order to have him tried for horrible atrocities committed during World War II. The story jumps around a bit timing-wise, which at the very beginning was a little confusing â" they jumped from 1997 back to 1966 and back again â" however, things become clear as soon as they go back to 1966 where the main story takes place.
The three main characters, played by Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, and Marton Csokas, did a stellar job portraying the young Mossad agents. I particularly enjoyed Chastainâs performance of young Rachel Singer. Her âItâ girl hype she is garnering is totally deserved. She stole every scene in The Help, and definitely held her own against Brad Pitt in The Tree of Life.
Sam Worthington is also a huge star on the rise at the moment. He brings such depth to his characters, more so than most actors out there right now. The Debt is my personal favourite of all of Samâs films (Avatar, Terminator: Salvation, Clash of the Titans), and his portrayal of young David Peretz was riveting. I believe that weâll be seeing him in many more excellent roles in the future..
The last of the three agents is young Stephan Gold, played by Marton Csokas. Csokas did an excellent job playing the older more experienced agent. I must admit though, I had to look him up, because I know Iâve seen him before, but couldnât recall where. Heâs been in âbit partâ land - standing out just enough to get noticed, but not enough for people to remember where. Iâm thrilled to see him step into a lead role, as it really showcased his acting chops.
Out of the three older versions of the three agents, Helen Mirren (The Queen, Red) is really the only one worth mentioning. She really was the focal point of the 1997 storyline. To me, Mirren is a close second to Meryl Streep. She gave the older Rachel such nuance and depth, and she was only a supporting actor.
The other two agents, played by Tom Wilkinson (Batman Begins, The Full Monty) and Ciarán Hinds (Road to Perdition, There Will be Blood), were in the film so little that I barely noticed them. I like both actors, but didnât get much from them in this one. All I got out of them was what my main complaint about this movie was - the accents. They were terrible.
I would be remiss if I didnât mention the good doctor, or should I say, herr Doktor Bernhardt. The doctor was very aptly played by Jesper Christensen (2006 Casino Royale, The Interpreter), who showed both sides to this evil man. The doctor was to be tried for the torture of countless people, yet he was also a fertility doctor, showing great compassion for his patients and helping to bring new life into this world. This role must have been so difficult to play. The character definitely had a dual personality.
Iâm going to give this movie a very big compliment, if The Help hadnât already come out, this would be my favourite movie of this year. You canât get a better cast, or a more intense storyline. I definitely give the film 4 stars out of 5.



