The Debt - (August 31st, 2011): R
Distributor: Focus Features/Miramax
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #2 with $9,909,499
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $21,993,000
Gross Revenue: $23,902,106
Production Budget: $20 million
Director: John Madden
From a distribution standpoint, The Debt had some trouble reaching mass audiences after its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, with business complications preventing Miramax from releasing the film in December 2010 as was originally intended. Still, once it was decided that this newest thriller would hit as the last August release, the emotionally-charged subject material and the talented cast would be more than enough to fill the theaters. Based on the 2007 Israeli movie of the same name, The Debt boasted two different generations of Hollywood star-power, with Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson leading the charge, and the younger cast, which included Marton Csokas (xXx, The Bourne Supremacy), Sam Worthington (Avatar, Terminator Salvation), and Jessica Chastain (The Help), following suit. An added plus for me included the fact that the film was co-written by Matthew Vaughn, who has directed and produced some of my favorite movies (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, and Snatch). With all of these factors coming together alongside the fact that true thrillers have been few and far in-between over these past summer months, The Debt was sure to be an enjoyable movie going experience.
Opening in 1997, The Debt introduces Israeli journalist Sarah (Romi Aboulafia) as she celebrates the release of her new book, which details the events of a Mossad operation in 1966 which led to the capture of notorious Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen), “The Surgeon of Birkenau.” Sarah recognizes the efforts of her mother, Rachel Singer (Helen Mirren), and father, Stefan Gold (Tom Wilkinson), two of the three agents who carried out the mission; concurrently, the third agent, David Peretz (Ciarán Hinds), suddenly and inexplicably commits suicide. The film then jumps to 1965, where young Rachel (Jessica Chastain), on her first field mission, arrives in East Berlin to meet with Stefan (Marton Csokas) and David (Sam Worthington) as they prepare to capture Vogel so that he may stand trial in Israel. After infiltrating the doctor’s office where Vogel is practicing as an OB/GYN, Rachel manages to subdue Vogel and he is transported to the team’s safe house; unfortunately, a number of misfortunes prevent the agents from completing their mission as planned, and they are ultimately forced to hide a dark secret. Coming back to present day, Rachel and Stefan must rush to solve the mystery of their friend’s death and prevent the truth that they have been hiding for over 30 years from finally being revealed.
As a drama-thriller with a unique narrative framing, The Debt grabs your attention and does not let go, telling a riveting story accompanied by stellar acting. Set against the always emotionally-charged Holocaust aftermath, I expected the film to provide depth, but the direction makes it so that the audience feels every motivation and conflict that these young agents experience in trying to bring a war criminal to justice. The story itself is surprising with plenty of twists that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, but the standout element of the entire film has to be the character of Rachel Singer, who is brought to life through tremendous acting talent. As the younger Rachel, Jessica Chastain shows a wide range of emotion as a woman battling against an unforgiving situation, while Helen Mirren is haunting as the older version of the same character, someone who is clearly weighed down by her past and seeking redemption. With so many accolades present, it is difficult to find ways to criticize The Debt, but I can admit that there were a few times where the complicated story was a little difficult to follow.
For perhaps the first twenty minutes of the film, The Debt threatens to lose its audience with a complicated set-up, and I believe that if this form of story-telling had been eased into a little more gently, a number of moviegoers would have been grateful. The film also jumps from past to present-day a little too often; it isn’t necessarily difficult to keep track of the characters at different points in time, but a number of the transitions do interrupt some of the natural momentum present. In terms of acting, while it is clear who I think gave the strongest performance, I was a little disappointed that Sam Worthington and Tom Wilkinson didn’t receive more screen-time. Still, these criticisms are trivial at best, because the end product remains surprising and thoroughly enjoyable. It is no secret that I am a big fan of war films and historical drama, and while The Debt doesn’t necessarily conform to either of these genres, I still have no problem declaring this last-minute thriller as one of the best films of the year.
With as good as The Debt is, I was a little surprised that it wasn’t able to dethrone The Help in its first weekend, but a second place opening for a festival sweetheart is still impressive. Being a remake of an Israeli film, I was also surprised that this newest thriller wasn’t able to draw more of an international audience, but filmmakers have already recovered the modest production budget, so there isn’t much to worry about in terms of covering costs. I have no doubt that positive word of mouth will increase box office receipts in coming weeks, and many critics agree that a number of Oscar contenders are present. Jessica Chastain may just be starting to make a mark on the big screen, but The Debt will undoubtedly help her generate some big projects down the road. As the last film of the 2011 Summer Movie Season, The Debt was a surprisingly strong entry to finish the race, and I cannot emphasize enough how quickly you should get down to the theater…do not miss it!
Overall Recommendation: Very High
