Review of The Debt (2010) by Maksim B — 12 May 2012

A gripping and relatively suspenseful spy-thriller, The Debt is another recent retro-oriented spy movie, which surprises not only with its thrilling qualities, but also with its moral dilemmas and issues of conscience. It provides not only a decent load of entertainment, but also a engaging dramatic content.

Quite sober in its story-telling and settings. The Debt never relies on stunts, effect or fast-paced story telling to maintain its grip on the audience. The topic of capturing a person responsible for disgusting atrocities is intriguing enough to hold a strong grip on the audience in the first half of the movie. Despite the uneasy and sometimes chaotic pacing, the audience could enjoy the excellent cast and internal chemistry and tension between the actors.

Unfortunately in its second half John Madden's movie stumbles by not being able to further develop the moral issues coming from the simple act of a lie. It does not make use of the truth revealed in the middle of the movie and thus a huge portion of The Debt's potential is lost in the remaining minutes. This results in an ending that fails to be fully convincing and somehow disappoints.

Still, The Debt is one of the better recent spy movies. It never explores its full potential but in the manages to remain decently compelling Hollywood delivery.