" We can't go back "

The Debt

A remake of an Israeli film by the same name, the film follows three Mossad agents in 1965 who are sent to Berlin to capture the Nazi war criminal: Dieter Vogel aka The Surgeon of Birkenau. Their mission is to capture Vogel alive and have him stand trial for his crimes, however not everything goes to plan. The film explores how the events from 1965 come back to haunt the three agents thirty year on.

Coming into this film I was sceptical as to how the two different time periods would be handled, but thankfully Director John Madden was able to transition between the two story lines very effectively. The process of which the earlier story in 1965 is remembered and told is very clever. You are never left confused but you are always left wanting to know more and continue watching, which I think is a pretty convincing sign that the film is effective.

Despite the experienced way the two stories are told there is no denying the flashback scenes are far more engaging that the scenes set 30 years later. The flashback scenes are full of suspense and drama and as a result I couldn't help but feel disappointed every time their scenes finished.  Luckily though the entire film is well paced and there is barely a dull moment, leaving you captivated throughout.

The three agents in 1965 are played by Jessica Chastain (Rachel), Marton Csokas (Stephan) and Sam Worthington (David) and thirty years later they are played by Helen Mirren (Rachel), Tom Wilkinson (Stephan) and Ciaran Hinds (David). In both stories the focus is on Rachel who is played as expected  extremly well by Mirren. For me she was the shinning light out of the three experienced actors and it almost seems as if she was brought into the film to make the scenes that were set thirty years later more appealing to the audience. Luckily it works.

For me the real acting talent comes from Chastain, Csokas and Worthington, as all three deliver great performances. Worthington still seems some what out place in an espionage thriller appearing more at home in a summer blockbuster but he manages to deliver a solid performance. Worthington is helped by the fact that David is an intriguing character and although he has few lines and is perhaps not explored in much depth, Worthington makes the most of his character. The real star of the movie however is Jessica Chastain. Chastain exploded onto the scene last year and delivers the strongest performance in the film, it's easy to see why she has become the actress in demand at the moment.

Don't be put off by the subject matter of this film as the events of World War 2 are simply a backdrop to the story. At the same time don't regard this as a simple film that is not worthy of your attention as there is more involved in this film than one might think. The Debt has some really suspenseful scenes as well as an intriguing love triangle. As the film ultimately explores the effects of guilt over a long period of time, posing the question, can a lie be justified?