Review: The Debt

The Cost of History. The Price of Vengeance.

By Chris Sabga

Note: "The Debt" was released on this date seven years ago. Presented below are my thoughts from 2010, with only a few alterations made for clarity or to interject my current perspective.

Release Date: August 31, 2010 – U.S.

Rating: R

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Running Time: 113 minutes

Director: John Madden

Writers: Screenplay: Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman, 

Peter Straughan. 

Original Film ("Ha-Hov"): Assaf Bernstein, 

Ido Rosenblum

Cast: Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Ciarán Hinds, 

Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, Sam Worthington, 

Jesper Christensen 

"The Debt" details the legend of three young Israeli agents and the dangerous secret mission they risked their lives to complete – or did they?

Their names are Rachel Singer, Stephan Gold, and David Peretz. Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, and Ciaran Hinds play the older versions of these characters, while Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington ("Avatar") do the heavy lifting as their younger incarnations.

This movie presents an intriguing fictional take on real-life historical events. It begins in 1997 as a book is being presented about the trio's exploits. Back in 1966, they were sent to capture a Nazi – the Butcher of Birkenau – who experimented on Jews during World War II.

Mirren, Wilkinson, and Hinds are all fine in their parts, but the film really belongs to Chastain, Csokas, and Worthington. When "The Debt" was first released in 2010, I don't think I had ever seen Chastain or Csokas before. They do a tremendous job. I remember thinking that Chastain must have been an unknown foreign talent – that's how convincing she is in this role. Obviously, the California-born actress has since gone on to great success. Worthington has the least flashy part, but it's a good performance considering how different it is from the charismatic, tough soldier he played in "Avatar."

The dreaded Butcher (portrayed by Jesper Christensen) is downright chilling at times. At first, he lulls the audience in with a false sense of security despite his odious character. But from time to time, his true roots will surface out of the blue, and you won't believe some of the truly ugly things he says. Even after all these years, the Butcher remains one of the most detestable cinematic villains of the decade – because of the root of his evil comes from a very real and unfortunate place in human history.

Remade from the 1997 Israeli movie "Ha-Hov," "The Debt's" foreign roots are obvious right away from its feel and pacing alone. Hollywood generally doesn't make these types of films.

If you still haven't seen "The Debt," do yourself a favor and avoid reading or viewing anything about it. I went into the movie almost cold – aside from watching the trailer a few times – and that's definitely the best way to experience it.

"The Debt" isn't perfect – for example, I would've switched the roles Wilkinson and Hinds played – but it presents a number of interesting themes.

Does the burden of truth outweigh the legacy of history? Or as Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman so eloquently stated, "In a place that’s as haunted by history as Israel is, can a lie ever really serve to prop up a larger truth?"

Does the price of justice come at too high a cost?

And is it ever too late to seek revenge?  

Review: Denial

The Shocking True Story of the Court Case That Put the Holocaust on Trial

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: October 21, 2016 – U.S.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Biography, Drama, History

Running Time: 110 minutes

Director: Mick Jackson

Writers: David Hare (screenplay), 

Deborah Lipstadt (book)

Cast: Rachel Weisz, Timothy Spall, 

Andrew Scott, Tom Wilkinson

Attention, Academy: Give Rachel Weisz the Oscar! The London-born actress's startling transformation into a tough-talking teacher from Queens, New York, is nothing short of extraordinary.

I'll be honest: It's a pet peeve of mine whenever a performer attempts an accent that isn't their own. Let's face it: it doesn't always work – at least not 100% effectively. Oftentimes, you can almost see the gears grinding in their head as they concentrate on adjusting their vocal chords while simultaneously remembering and reciting their dialogue. Every word out of their mouth usually feels strained and unnatural. That's not the case here. If I had never seen Weisz before, I would swear she was born and raised in New York. She's that good in "Denial."

In 1996, historian and writer Deborah Lipstadt (Weisz) was sued for libel by Third Reich sentimentalist David Irving (Timothy Spall) because she characterized his beliefs as "Holocaust denial." His actual views: the Holocaust never took place. His argument: that "denier" has become a defamatory term with negative connotations – similar to "racist" and other such words.

The trial was lengthy and cost millions of pounds. Yes, pounds. Apparently, America isn't the only country that gets itself tied up in frivolous litigation.

But there is one very important difference to note: The American judicial system of "innocent until proven guilty" does not apply in England. Instead, it is up to the accused party to prove his or her innocence. In this case, that meant Deborah – and the Holocaust, by extension – was put on trial, even though the lawsuit was filed against her.

Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? But it actually happened.

Anthony Julius (Andrew Scott) agrees to take the case. He was previously Princess Diana's lawyer, which means Deborah's defense is being handled by an elite legal team. The stakes are too high for anything less, and the ramifications of a loss would be devastating.

In another difference from the American judicial system, it isn't Julius himself who will argue the case in court. Instead, that important duty is given to a different lawyer entirely, Richard Rampton (Tom Wilkinson, who delivers yet another solid, reliable performance in a career filled with them).

Within the first few seconds of hearing David Irving speak out against the Holocaust, Silver Screen Sister shouted at the screen: "I'm already offended on behalf of all Jewish people."

That offense turned to grief as Deborah and Richard travel to Auschwitz on a "research mission." In a stunning scene, what at first seems like air in the sky ends up being a faded montage of concentration camp prisoners descending the stairs of Auschwitz to their impending doom.

Watching the intricacies of the English legal process unfold is fascinating. In a big American trial, you would expect Deborah to passionately take the stand, and for Holocaust survivors to do the same. Neither happens in "Denial" – for very good reasons I'll leave you to discover.

This film does a great job of creating suspense for what is otherwise a forgone conclusion.

Is a court of law the right place to decide the legitimacy of the Holocaust? That's the question I raised during the movie and one the people involved in the case struggled with as well. There are no easy answers, but what cannot be debated is just how important – crucial – it is to discuss a historical event of this magnitude. Perhaps the formality of a courtroom setting is as good a venue as any. 

Review: Little Boy

Standing Tall in a Time of War

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: April 24, 2015 – U.S.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Drama, War

Running Time: 106 minutes

Director: Alejandro Monteverde

Writers: Alejandro Monteverde, 

Pepe Portillo

Cast: Jakob Salvati, Michael Rapaport, 

Emily Watson, Kevin James, Ted Levine, 

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, David Henrie, 

Ben Chaplin, Tom Wilkinson, 

Abraham Benrubi

After "Little Boy" was recommended to me by three people of wildly different backgrounds and interests, I knew it was a movie I had to see. I initially dismissed it based on the trailer, which is one of the most misleading in recent memory. It really does this fine film a disservice, by erroneously portraying the boy's beliefs as a magic act that literally allows him to move a mountain. (The notoriously deceptive trailer for the otherwise good "Bridge to Terabithia" is almost more honest.) Yes, it's said that faith the size of a mustard scene can move mountains, but the actual movie is thankfully more grounded in reality. Don't get me wrong: "Little Boy" is about faith. But it's the kind of faith we all live with every day, where believing isn't necessarily seeing.

Pepper Flynt Busbee (Jakob Salvati) – who already has an uphill battle ahead of him with a name like that – is known as "Little Boy" around the small town of O'Hare, Texas, for various reasons: his young age (he's only 8), his short height and small stature, and – worst of all – it's an insult the local bullies shout at him when they aren't calling him a "midget" or trying to push him around.

Dr. Fox (Kevin James, in a rare and surprising dramatic role) reassures him that the term "midget" is just a mean name for folks with dwarfism, but more time is needed before an official diagnosis can be made. This is really a ploy for him to get closer to Little Boy's mother, Emma (Emily Watson).

The other members of Little Boy's family are his father, James (Michael Rapaport), and brother, London (David Henrie) – they really know how to name them in this family! His brother tries to enlist in the army, but his application is denied because he has flat feet – yet another reason I wouldn't be able to join the military! Because of that, his dad feels duty-bound to fight the good fight against the "Japs" – as they were disdainfully referred to back then. Little Boy's best – and only – friend is his dad, so the separation is devastating.

Little Boy is easily influenced, as little boys sometimes are: he parrots hateful terms like "Jap" without understanding the full ramifications of what he's saying, and he feels conflicted by the "honor" of the atomic bomb being "named after him." At the behest of his older – but certainly not wiser – brother, Little Boy assists in vandalizing an older "Jap's" house. The "enemy's" name is Hashimoto (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), but he's far from the "fresh off the boat" foreigner he's wrongfully perceived to be. As it turns out, he has actually lived in the United States for over forty years.

Hashimoto is good friends with the local priest, Fr. Oliver (an endearing Tom Wilkinson). Little Boy eventually ends up in front of the wise clergyman, who hands him a piece of paper and instructs him to complete several tasks. The final – and most important – item on that list: "Befriend Hashimoto."

Little Boy takes his mission seriously and does it dutifully, but progress with the older Japanese man is slow and unsteady at first. As their friendship tentatively progresses, they share an ice cream together outside the parlour. It's a scene that will both touch your heart and tickle your funny bone. Their growing bond is one of the most heartwarming aspects of this film.

Unfortunately, trouble is always right around the corner. The tragedies of war have fueled irrational fear, hatred, and mistrust for Hashimoto in some of the townsfolk. Little Boy's brother misses their father, while the much older Sam (Ted Levine, who memorably played Captain Stottlemeyer on "Monk") is grieving for his son. They come together because they both have a bone to pick with "the Jap" – and they're not willing to make their point quietly. It's a twisted and toxic mirror image of the purer kinship shared by Hashimoto and Little Boy.

What surprised me the most: "Little Boy's" wonderful visual flourishes. This is a stunning movie to look at! Early on, a person is shown siting on a bench holding up a magazine with Adolf Hitler on the cover – positioned in such a way that it almost looks like the Fuhrer's head is attached to the reader's body. It's a very clever sight gag. Later, we see a samurai sword-fight, which unfolds dramatically as Hashimoto reads a Japanese storybook to Little Boy. There's also a spectacular black-and-white dream sequence highlighted by bold red imagery.

But the real reason the film works so well is because it's filled with great story and character details. In one scene, Little Boy has his height measured at home, with pencil markings on the wall to indicate his growth. It's a quiet little moment of great power that transported me right back to my own childhood.

Review: The Conspirator

The Real Lincoln Lawyer

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: April 15, 2011 – U.S.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Drama, History

Running Time: 122 minutes

Director: Robert Redford

Writers: James D. Solomon, 

Gregory Bernstein

Cast: James McAvoy, Robin Wright, 

Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, 

Tom Wilkinson, Justin Long, 

Danny Huston, James Badge Dale, 

Colm Meaney, Alexis Bledel, 

Johnny Simmons, Toby Kebbell, 

Johnathan Groff, Stephen Root, 

John Cullum, Norman Reedus

We've all been taught that John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln. But according to "The Conspirator," there's more to the story. As stated in the film, "one bullet killed the President, but not one man." Apparently, there was a conspiracy to murder Lincoln – with many people involved in its planning, execution, and aftermath. The assassination, and Wilkes Booth's role in it, is covered in the first few minutes of the film. After that, it turns into a full-fledged courtroom drama as a series of key players are introduced.

Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) – a soldier who fought for the North in the Civil War – is prompted to defend one of the alleged conspirators, Mary Surratt (Robin Wright). He's coerced into it by his boss, Reverdy Johnson (Tom Wilkinson). No matter how guilty Surratt may seem, Johnson argues, even she is entitled to fair legal representation. After all, this is America and it's her constitutional right. At first, Aiken is against the idea and firmly believes that Surratt aided in the assassination of Lincoln. She's under suspicion because she owns a boarding house in town that welcomed Wilkes Booth (Toby Kebbell) and others in the past.

McAvoy, Wright, and Wilkinson are all superb in their respective roles. Wright, in particular, shines as the fierce and fiery Mary Surratt. She radiates and dominates the screen with a powerful, memorable performance. That's no small feat considering the who's who of other great actors involved: Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Stephen Root, Alexis Bledel, Justin Long (cast against type, badly), Colm Meaney, Danny Huston, Norman Reedus (Boondock Saints), and Johnny Simmons all join McAvoy, Wright, and Wilkinson. There's even a cameo by John Cullum, who is better known for his occasional appearances as Barry Moredock on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

Of the supporting cast, Kline, Meaney, and Huston are especially effective. The same, however, can't be said for Justin Long. He's usually one of the highlights of any film he's in, but he seems woefully out of place in the post-Civil War period. It's admirable for an actor to take risks, but this one didn't pay off. The role is small enough, though, that it doesn't really affect the movie.

The one area where "The Conspirator" truly falters is the clunky, heavy-handed way in which it tries tie the events of Lincoln's era to 9/11, George W. Bush, and the War on Iraq. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (Kline) is even portrayed as a Dick Cheney type. This might have been an effective plot device the first or even second time it was used in a movie, but now it's just annoying and unnecessary. Thankfully, only a minor portion of the film degenerates into a pointless political soapbox. With a story as strong as this one, there is no need for it.

Otherwise, director Robert Redford and writer James Solomon strive for historical accuracy, and Redford believes they achieved it. What ultimately matters is the overall quality of the movie. In that regard, "The Conspirator" is an outstanding effort that shines a new light on the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.