The Debt

Rating: 8
Starring: Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain, Tom Wilkinson, Sam Worthington
Genre: Adult Drama

A trio of Israeli agents kidnap a notorious Nazi war criminal in East Germany where he had built a post-WWII career as a gynecologist. They became national heroes in Israel as a result. The movie opens with the celebration of the release of a book narrating the story of the kidnapping written by the daughter of one of the heroes (Mirren.)

Thirty years have elapsed since the heroic event. A dark secret torments the three agents, one of whom walks in front of a moving bus on the day of the book release. The film shifts back and forth from present to 30 years earlier when Chastain plays Mirren's agent, and Worthington is the young Wilkinson as the other agent. This is an intriguing story that will rivet your attention as veneer of lies and the attempt to cover them up is torn away.

(Editor's Note: Chastain had a key role in "The Help" in a much, much different role; as the outcast blonde living on the plantation)