Movie Week – The Debt

Doesn’t everyone love a good revenge flick?  I know I do. I enjoy when their fictional like Cape Fear or Kill Bill and when they’re based on historical events, like oh let’s say Munich. 

And because I did actually enjoy Munich (except for that last super on-the-nose last scene) I thought I’d try out The Debt.  I mean it’s The Mossad, hunting enemies of Israel and it’s got Ciaran Hinds starring.  What could possibly go wrong?

So in case you’ve not heard of The Debt, it’s actually two stories; one set in the past and one set in the relative present.  In the past Three Mossad operatives go hunting down a Nazi doctor.  They catch him and get vengeance.  And in the present those same three Mossad operatives deal with the consequences of their actions.  I won’t give things away, but there’s a twist. 

The Debt isn’t quite the meditation on revenge that Munich is; it’s much more of a straight up thriller.  No, The Debt is more about honor and responsibility.  It’s got an ending that I enjoyed and found rather fitting.  It was an ending that justified everything else that lead up to it. 

And what lead up to that ending was, at times, bumpy.  There’s a love triangle that I waivered between appreciation and finding it annoying.  On one hand it does add something to the story, a nice layer.  On the other hand it did at times feel forced.  I firmly believe that The Debt could have survived without the love triangle. 

I enjoyed every performance in the film.  Ciaran is in it for only a bit, but he plays a big role.  While it wasn’t my favorite Jessica Chastain performance of the past few years, it was still a good job.  I’d never seen Sam Worthington’s work before and he played tortured well.  Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson are always great in everything. 

While I may not have been completely enamored with The Debt, I didn’t regret watching it.