Big Screen Blurb: The Debt

I was told once, that you're not old until your life's regrets outnumber your life's ambitions. If that is, indeed true, the characters of The Debt were very old at a very young age.

In The Debt, director John Madden weaves a story of revenge, involving a cast of four characters over two time periods. The year is 1966. Rachel, Steven and David (Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas and Sam Worthington) are Mossad secret agents with one target: Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel, better known as the Surgeon of Birkenau. The evil doctor has found refuge in East Berlin. The trio's task is a daunting one. They are to identify Vogel. Capture him. And finally, they are to smuggle him out of East Berlin to stand trial for his war crimes. The mission appears to be a great success as the trio is celebrated as national heroes. However, decades later in 1997, things appear to unravel as the trio (Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson and Claran Hinds)  regroups...kinda. Yadayadayada the spy thriller culminates as ultimate revenge meets the pinnacle of regret.

It's good. I'll go with 3.5 Stars. I was told going into this flick, that it was a lot like Munich. It certainly had that foreign, revenge piece, feel of Munich. I liked that flick a lot, but enjoyed The Debt much more. I loved the different levels on which this movie plays out. You're jumping time frames consistently--at least early in the film, but you never find yourself lost. Plus, the characters are intriquing and strong.

The characters and their theme of regret is as compelling as their tale. The love triangle showcases just one aspect of this. It frames the story and is equally compelling. You've got Rachel, shunned by her true love, settling on someone she grows to resent greatly. The regret really just begins there and is weaved throughout the story.

The acting certainly enhances a great story and provides the ultimate cherry on top of the sundae. I love Helen Mirren in just about anything. Tom Wilkinson I have loved since his role in The Patriot and Sam Worthington keeps his recent track record unblemished as the distant and detached David. All in all--good story...well told through great actors.

If you're a stickler for a good, well-told story, with an espionage slant, see The Debt and see it BIG.

True...OUT!