The Debt (2010)

In 1965, three Mossad agents cross into East Berlin to apprehend a notorious Nazi war criminal. Thirty years later, the secrets the agents share come back to haunt them.

Director:

John Madden

Writers:

Matthew Vaughn (screenplay), Jane Goldman (screenplay)

Stars:

Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Tom Wilkinson

13 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Helen Mirren	...	Rachel Singer
Tom Wilkinson	...	Stephan Gold
Ciarán Hinds	...	David Peretz
Romi Aboulafia	...	Sarah Gold
Tomer Ben David	...	Sarah's Husband
Ohev Ben David	...	Sarah's Son
Jonathan Uziel	...	Mossad Agent
Elana Kivity Davenport	...	Publisher
Eli Zohar	...	Stephan's Driver
Irén Bordán	...	Seminar Moderator (Tel Aviv 1997)
Jessica Chastain	...	Young Rachel
Marton Csokas	...	Young Stephan
Sam Worthington	...	Young David
Jesper Christensen	...	Doktor Bernhardt / Dieter Vogel
Brigitte Kren	...	Frau Bernhardt / Nurse

Storyline

The espionage thriller begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciarán Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of the mission that they undertook back in 1965, when the trio (portrayed, respectively, by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington) tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Jesper Christensen) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team's mission was accomplished - or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations.

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Plot Keywords:

sex with a colleague | cleavage | scantily clad female | panties | white panties | 

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Taglines:

Every secret comes with a price

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA UK Hungary Israel

Language:

English German Russian

Release Date:

31 August 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Al filo de la mentira

Filming Locations:

Hungary

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,949,109, 4 September 2011, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$31,177,548, 3 November 2011

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$45,636,368, 3 October 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax,Marv Films,Pioneer Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Dr. Vogel is loosely based on Josef Mengele, SS officer and physician in Auschwitz concentration camp, who did inject dyes into victims' eyes and perform other "experiments", such as the ones described in one of the dialogues in the movie.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the film, shown to be in 1966, as the ramp to the cargo plane opens there are three vehicles, two cars and a truck, seen coming toward the plane. One car is a period-correct 1966 Chevrolet, but the other is an early 1980s Oldsmobile.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Young Stephan: Breathe.

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.199 (2011)

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Soundtracks

She's Not There
Written by Rod Argent
Performed by The Zombies
Courtesy of Marquis Enterprises Ltd.

User Reviews

Enjoyable diverting - but not much more.

A remake of the 2007 Israeli film of the same name, John Madden's Westernised take on the gritty espionage thriller is enjoyably diverting, if not much more. Tracking three Mossad agents across two timeframes – as young adults they embark on a perilous mission to capture a serial killing Nazi surgeon, 30 years later they revisit their haunted memories – there's plenty going on story-wise. However it lacks that required edge to elevate it into spellbinding territory, largely due to the uninspiring way it's shot and presented. The impressive line-up of actors don't disappoint; Martin Csokas, Sam Worthington and Jessica Chastain gel naturally as the inexperienced spies, whilst Tom Wilkinson, Ciaran Hinds and Helen Mirren add enormous clout as their elderly counterparts. Could've been better, could've been worse; a mixed affair really.