Set in the 1960s and 90s, "The Debt" follows three Israeli special agents as they navigate their country's Holocaust-inflicted psychological wounds. The mission forces them to face their traumatic pasts, and entangles them in a web of lies thirty years in the making. Director John Madden delivers an intense study of how much the truth is worth, and at what point lies become untenable. Despite their best efforts, the characters cannot hide their pasts, and any debts they hold to society for cruelty gone unpunished or a deed left undone must be paid. Rachel Carter
Directed by: MaddenWith: Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Ciaran Hinds113 minutesRated R
"The Debt" failed to engage me, despite its emotional subject matter and convincing performances by the lead actors. It focused too much attention on the intricacies of the plot, and not enough on the characters themselves, given that the actors were clearly capable of strongly emotional scenes. Although I was curious to see how the plot would be resolved, I found myself wondering when the film would end. An interesting but at times slow-moving film, The Debt failed to produce the emotional effect I expected. Rachel Carter
"The Debt" is a complex, layered and action-packed film that derives its engaging tension through minimalism. The violence is enough to make you wince yet is never gratuitous, and the actors convey their deepest emotion not through dialogue but through simple glances and wordless gestures. Although it is a large undertaking to combine unpredictable twists, political intrigue, sexual tension and morally ambiguous forays into the nature of truth and lies, the film never strays into unncessary scenes or dialogue. Lauren Sarner
"The Debt" is an exciting and well-made film, though it leaves you feeling that it could have been better. The thriller's untraditional structure allowed the film to tell an original story, but made it seem too long and oddly paced. The entire cast delivered solid performances (especially Mirren), though characterizations became inconsistent as different actors played the same characters at different time periods. The film's production was tight and professional, but left out any ambiguity that might allow audience members to come to their own conclusions. Matt Garczynski
