RBR: The Debt

This got lost in the shuffle when it was released back in August, but it was hard for me to ignore a film that boasts acting greats like Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson, along with rising stars like Sam Worthington and Jessica Chastain. The film deals a trio of Mossad agents who are attempting to hunt down a Nazi doctor. In order to do so, the film flashes back and forth between the time of the mission and current day. This can be an effective narrative device, but I didn't like it hear and thought it just made the film more confusing, not engaging. And because we jump back and forth, not enough time is given to Mirren and Wilkenson, who play the older versions of two of the agents. And while I liked some of the action scenes in the film, there was not enough of that in here. Instead, we get a deeper look into these agents personally and I just wasn't captivated by it. In its attempt to look at how these agents handle this mission, the film can't find the right voice to treat this subject (which has its roots in real life) properly. If it was trying to be poignant, it failed to do so. If you want a decent foreign espionage thriller, I'd recommend Hanna over this commendable, but otherwise confusing film. Rating: ***