The Debt
Directed by: John Madden
Starring: Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Tom Wilkinson
Rated: R for some violence and language
Director John Madden's thriller The Debt is a bold and intriguing piece that does what every good thriller should do: keep you guessing the entire movie. The movie is about three Israeli operatives (Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, and Marton Csokas) who, in the 1960s, were on a mission to capture a Nazi war-criminal and how, thirty years later, these three (now played by Helen Mirren, Cirian Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson) must deal with a secret discovered during that mission. With a cast of incredible talent, it may be shocking to some that the heart and soul of the film is breakout-star Jessica Chastain, who is generating some Oscar buzz for multiple roles this year. It's little surprise then that, once again, Chastain out performs her older and more legendary costars and delivers yet another terrific performance, balancing her character's strength and fragility with near perfect clarity. Due to the film's odd plot structure, the film does have some pacing issues, but overall the film is solid. That is, up until the last five minutes of the film, when it breaks into the ridiculous and leaves the believability and tone of the last two hours to try to become some sort of suspense thriller at the last five minutes, which completely ruins the film. While I traditionally believe in watching the entire movie, perhaps missing the last five minutes of The Debt is the best thing you could do; if so, you're a better editor than Oscar-winning director John Madden.
Directed by: John Madden
Starring: Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Tom Wilkinson
Rated: R for some violence and language
Director John Madden's thriller The Debt is a bold and intriguing piece that does what every good thriller should do: keep you guessing the entire movie. The movie is about three Israeli operatives (Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, and Marton Csokas) who, in the 1960s, were on a mission to capture a Nazi war-criminal and how, thirty years later, these three (now played by Helen Mirren, Cirian Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson) must deal with a secret discovered during that mission. With a cast of incredible talent, it may be shocking to some that the heart and soul of the film is breakout-star Jessica Chastain, who is generating some Oscar buzz for multiple roles this year. It's little surprise then that, once again, Chastain out performs her older and more legendary costars and delivers yet another terrific performance, balancing her character's strength and fragility with near perfect clarity. Due to the film's odd plot structure, the film does have some pacing issues, but overall the film is solid. That is, up until the last five minutes of the film, when it breaks into the ridiculous and leaves the believability and tone of the last two hours to try to become some sort of suspense thriller at the last five minutes, which completely ruins the film. While I traditionally believe in watching the entire movie, perhaps missing the last five minutes of The Debt is the best thing you could do; if so, you're a better editor than Oscar-winning director John Madden.
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