The Debt

Laudable for its commentary on hedge-fund greed and a government unable to take care of its people, the well-acted film loses points for story conveniences that rob the final scenes of the emotional weight otherwise earned. A promise made is a balance owing, and The Debt fails to pay off.

Slow and sincere, The Debt bites off more plot than it can dramatically chew, its characters — especially the go-between played by the excellent Argentine actor Alberto Ammann — diluted by political maneuvering.

Despite its best efforts to be thought-provoking, the film is dramatically inert, slow and its revelations aren’t all that politically illuminating, relying on coincidence and worn tropes to obfuscate its lack of ingenuity.

The Debt is a contemporary film that delves deep into questions of morality and ethics based off of Peru’s agrarian reform from the 1960s. The multi-narrative story centers on Stephen Dorff’s character, Oliver Campbell, a well-regarded banker in New York who works non-stop to secure a family’s land in Peru for his firm. The film also has master-class performances by Dorff, David Strathairn, and Elsa Olivero. Writer-director Barney Elliott paces the movie well and in my opinion, draws connections from Oliver’s deal in a natural way that some movies attempt to do, but do not succeed in. I highly recommend this well-made indie for any film lover.

Writer and director Barney Elliott uses a multi narrative structure as the blueprint for his screenplay, a style that places a strong emphasis on the emotional and emphatic experience of the audience. The Debt follows three different characters: a New York banker, a Peruvian farmer, and a nurse in Lima. All three play a significant part in a land ownership deal for a piece of Peruvian native farming property. Elliott's style of writing expands the world of each character separately, but as the film progress, their narratives become interwoven. Definitively a style well suited for a thriller, The Debt will leave you guessing until the last minute. Barney Elliott is a filmmaker to follow.