The Debt (2011)

In 1997 Israel, a former Mossad agent (Helen Mirren) attends a book party for her daughter's (Romi Aboulafia) just published book on her mother's heroism in tracking down and executing a Nazi war criminal (Jesper Christensen). But there's a dark, unspoken secret in her mother's past that effects the present of all involved including the daughter as we find out when the film bounces back forth between 1966 East Berlin and 1997 Israel. Based on a 2007 Israeli film, this is a complex, layered thriller that the director John Madden (SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE) keeps you on the edge of your seat. A real nail biter as it were as you never know exactly where it's going. Although top billed, the film really belongs to the wonderful Jessica Chastain who plays the young Mirren in the film's lengthy flashback. After her one two punch this year with TREE OF LIFE and THE HELP and now THE DEBT, surely she's the new actress to watch! The fine score is by Thomas Newman. The superb cast includes Tom Wilkinson as Mirren's husband with Marton Csokas as his younger self, Ciaran Hinds as the third member of the Mossad team with Sam Worthington (AVATAR) as his younger self. Highly recommended.