The film is a flashback spy narrative that follows a trio of Israeli agents played by two separate sets of actors during the different periods who had tracked down and killed a former Nazi scientist Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen) in their youth, and who now have to deal with his specter in the modern day.
While not an innately complicated plot, the flashback narrative that director Madden employs swerves more drastically than a rollercoaster at certain points. The younger cast that play the trio of agents Rachel (Jessica Chastain), Stephan (Martin Csokas) and David (Sam Worthington) have a straightforward narrative but a less solid performance, while the older cast, consisting of Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson and Ciarin Hinds, have to cope with a more anti-climatic frame, despite putting in a noticeably stronger performance. This bipolar tendency of the film is even more apparent in its oscillating between well-choreographed action and pensive historical affection.
The ultimate result is a film that is patchy, but still relatively enjoyable, hokey Israeli accents and all. The concluding twist, while a tad predictable, serves to wrap up this serviceable spy thriller, without us feeling the need to demand reimbursement.
Extras: Director commentary and some regular behind-the-scenes footage including an interview with Helen Mirren round off a vanilla Extras section.
Rating: 3/5
Extras: 3/5