Review of The Debt (2010) by Daniel A — 18 Dec 2011

A taught and well made thriller, featuring all-round strong performances, yet working better in its lengthy flashbacks than it does in present day.

If you enjoy espionage with a brain, and aren't entirely jaded by Hollywood's endless misuse of the Holocaust to give a movie historical and emotional weight, then The Debt should be right up your street. It tells the story of three Jewish spies and their attempts in the 1960s to capture a former Nazi war criminal, however some thirty years on it seems the story the world has heard may not be an accurate representation of what really happened.

Though the screenplay and direction are decent, The Debt really belongs to its actors. Helen Mirren utilises her usual strength and stateliness in a rare role that's worthy of her status, while Sam Worthington shows he can do more than just the one-note action hero we usually get from him. However it's Jessica Chastain, the undisputed breakout star of 2011, who dazzles as the young Rachel, bringing equal parts gentleness, quiet sex-appeal and sheer brutality to the character.

As a whole, The Debt is far from the best we've seen this year, but it has an undeniable vigour that will see it satisfies for as long as people remember it.