Post by Sarah on Nov 12, 2015 22:55:31 GMT
was 'The Debt' with Jessica Chastain. It was actually made in 2010 but that's recent for me. Obviously part of the appeal was the fact that it featured a (natural) red headed actress, but it was really good - honest. It was set in the early sixties and is about this trio of young Mossad agents who set out for Berlin in order to capture a Nazi war criminal who I think was based on Josef Mengele. The bastard in question is now rehabilitated as a gynaecologist and living a comfy life. Chastain's character has to go for an internal examination by him to get close enough to take a photo, send it back to Israel for confirmation, and then along with her colleagues capture him (on approval of a positive ID by Mossad). The examination scenes are very tense and both Chastain and the actor who plays Bastard are utterly convincing.
During a follow up examination, she injects him with what is supposed to just be an anaeshtetic drug but he suffers a heart attack. He survives but it ruins their plan of getting him back to Israel sneakily to face justice. The trio, plus bastard, then have to lie low in Berlin and Chastain and co have to now get him out of the country without fuss. He escapes one night and, too ashamed to admit that they've fucked things up big time, they pretend they killed him. They return to Israel as heroes but carry the awful secret around for twenty years or so. Helen Mirren plays the older version of Chastain's character.
The film is about living with big lies and the effect that being lauded for something you didn't do (especially in the context of honouring Holocaust victims) has upon individuals. I give it 8 out of 10, which is generous for me.
I also watched the Christopher Nolan 'Batman' trilogy - years after everyone else. I liked them but thought they were over long. What struck me is the fact that the 'Batman' films are no longer made for kids - they're obviously being made for grown ups as the plots are so convoluted and serious in tone. A weird innovation.