Once Upon a Time Dating

Oh. My. God. Those were the only three words going through my mind the entire time I was watching the most outstanding movie I have seen in a while, The Debt. While I’m usually only interested in chick flicks and instantly love any movie that starts with a shot of a cliquey high school hallway, this film was an exception. I watched it last night with my mom, and it was one of those movies that has you thinking long and hard about it hours after you finish watching. It’s hard to summarize it without giving too much away, but basically it is about three Israeli soldiers who go to Berlin in 1966 to kidnap a Nazi in hiding and bring him back to Israel for trial, and the domino effect of events that occur after they get there. The movie is split between the events that transpire in 1960’s Berlin, and the characters looking back on their story (and their secrets) in 1997 Tel Aviv. It sounds boring, I know, and if I had just read that description before seeing the film I would never give it a chance. I was totally not interested until about 25 minutes in, but once I got into it there was no pulling me away from the screen. The film stars Jessica Chastain and Helen Mirren (as the older version of Chastain’s character), two beautiful and very gifted actresses at the top of their game. Jessica Chastain won eight awards for her performance, and believe me, they were well deserved. Look for the next time they are playing The Debt on your guide and record it. You will experience a moving story that will genuinely affect you, and that you won’t soon forget.