The Debt dir John Madden, Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Jessica Chastain
Classy. 3 Mossad agents set out to capture and bring to justice the Surgeon of Birkenau. The action is set in 1966 and the present, dipping between the two periods. East Berlin in the 60s is grim, grey and sinister; the present day is sunshine, LA beaches and comfortable posterity. Yet the debt of the title is manifold: justice, guilt, history and the real casualty, truth. Jessica Chastain and Helen Mirren play Rachel Singer; Sam Worthington and Ciaran Hinds play David Perretz; while Maron Csokas and Tom Wilkinson play Stefan Gold. The younger trio fair better than the old guard but then the story spins on the 60s set up and dominates the film. So that by the time we are emotionally connected in the present day the drama rushes towards its dramatic conclusion, through sleight of hand envelope shifting and the wave goodbye. Yet Jesper Christensen is chilling as Dieter Vogel. He exploits each with the precision of the surgeon’s knife. Pacey, earlier direction; skilful editing, particularly in the opening and closing sequences, with stunning music by Thomas Newman, give this 2007 remake of Assaf Bernstein’s Israeli film, a classy edge……
No comments:
Post a Comment