THE DEBT is a spy
thriller that flashes back and forth between East Berlin in 1965 (where three Mossad agents are on a mission to kidnap a Nazi
war criminal) and Israel in 1997. The mission starts with the female agent visiting the criminal
who is working as a fertility doctor. The mission doesn't go as planned and the three agents have to live with the
consequences and a secret of what really happened. one said she shot the criminal as he was escaping and her daughter
has written a book about it.
THE DEBT is a taut
spy thriller that shows the agents at two different phases of life. 30 years makes a difference as the mission has
changed each of them for the worst. THE DEBT is a well directed film with a good script (with it being written by X-MEN
FIRST CLASS director Matthew Vaughn and writer Jane Goldman). It reminds me of some of the spy thrillers you would
see in the 1960s. THE DEBT really shines when the movie flashbacks to 1965 East Berlin as the captors of the Nazi
war criminal are left with few options and things start to go wrong.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Three brief featurettes
(about less than ten minutes total) feature interviews with cast and the director with most of the interviews focusing on Helen Mirren, the
actress who plays her counterpart 30 years ago, and director John Madden. The featurettes are way too brief- just
promo fluff.
The audio commentary
with director John Madden and producer Kris Thykier. The commentary is hit and miss while it does provide
some insight in the making of the film where they had to go to Budapest to find locations that looked like 1965 Berlin.
FINAL ANALYSIS:
THE DEBT is a good thriller, but the extras leaves you wanting better extras.
this DVD review
is (c)12-8-2011 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com
