The Debt’: A couple of sublots too many

Saw ” The Debt” yesterday and, well, was disappointed. Despite the setting (the film goes back and from from 1965 East Germany to 1997 Israel) and the star power (especially Helen Mirren, but also Sam Worthington from “Avatar” and the ubiquitous Tom Wilkinson), the overly involved plot lets us down.

Based on the 2007 Israeli film “Ha-Hof,” this John Madden-directed film is just too complicated for its own good. Madden, who directed the Oscar-winning “Shakespeare in Love,” and his team felt the need to add complications for whatever reason. And the result merely muddies what happens.

In short, it’s 1997 Israel, and slowly we learn the back story. In 1965, three young Mossad agents were sent to East Berlin to capture, and return, a medical monster — a Nazi doctor who experimented on Jews during World War II. Things go wrong, and the three concoct a story to cover themselves. But now, as the daughter of one of the agents (played by Jessica Chastain as a young woman, Mirren as her older self) has just published a book on the heroic story, things threaten to unravel. And Mirren’s character, Rachel, is forced to resolve matters.

In the original film, Rachel is the one who has published the book. And this, I think, is where the film goes wrong. By bringing in a daughter, Madden and Co. add at least one sublot too many. We already have a love triangle, a legend that is a lie, each of the three agents acting for his or her own reasons and a final mixed-message of redemption; the last thing we need is to introduce children and all the baggage accompanying them.

Madden directs well. The time frames are handled fluidly, as are the action scenes (especially one that is told twice). And with that cast, Madden understandably gets decent acting. But the plot changes from the original add little to what goes. In fact, they detract. And I really can’t figure out why anyone felt they were necessary.

Below : The trailer for “The Debt” (excuse the ad before the ad).