By Dave Montalbano
AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com
The tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001 seems as fresh today as it did on that lovely Tuesday morning. Since that day, we have witnessed folklore and urban legends about the attacks upon our American soil, mostly for political gain.
The fog of war created a world in which some heroes are considered villains, and villains have become martyrs.
The Debt is a taut espionage thriller with the depth to confront the issues of collateral damage in the face of conflict.
In 1997, a historical book is written about three Mossad secret agents – Rachel (Helen Mirren), Stefan (Tom Wilkin-son) and David (Ciarán Hinds), who killed a Nazi war criminal in hiding. As Rachel reads to an audience about her heroics, David walks in front of a truck and dies.
The Debt flashes back to the early 1960s, when the young Rachel (Jessica Chastain), young Stefan (Marton Csokas) and young David (Sam Worthington) investigate, plot and execute their plan to locate Dr. Bernhardt (Jesper Christensen), a gynecologist with a good bedside manner. To reveal more would be a big disservice to the plot. Suffice it to say that The Debt is not settled until the final moments of the movie.
The conflicted characters and their motivations propel the narrative. Yet, Director John Madden adds little touches with camera framing to make the violent sequences more tense and personal. One particular scene in the gynecologist’s office presents a dangerous woman in her most vulnerable position. If he could get away with it in his day, Sir Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of the character dynamics of that memorable scene.
Last year, Christoph Waltz earned his Best Supporting Oscar for his work as a Nazi in Inglourious Basterds. This year, Christensen may be considered for a similar role. Given the cold-blooded actions of Rachel, Stefan and David, one almost sympathizes with this Nazi villain. It is when Dr. Bernhardt plays the “victim card” that one truly detests this bureaucratic terrorist.
Known for his big screen heroics with Avatar and Terminator Salvation, Worthing-ton portrays another violent character. This time, he is the odd man of the team.
Sadly, Worthington’s elder counterpart looks more like Tom Wilkinson’s younger counterpart. Fortunately, for the pivotal role of Rachel, both Jessica Chastain and Helen Mirren are equally matched in looks, temperament and heart.
