X
- 2016
- TV-14
- Level 33 Entertainment
- 1 h 39 m
- 2016
- TV-14
- Level 33 Entertainment
- 1 h 39 m
Summary Set against the backdrop of an international finance deal with profound social implications, a wealthy American businessman sets out to score the deal of a lifetime and gets entangled in a battle for land, money, and power in Peru.
Directed By: Barney Elliott
Written By: Barney Elliott
- 2016
- TV-14
- Level 33 Entertainment
- 1 h 39 m
- 2016
- TV-14
- Level 33 Entertainment
- 1 h 39 m
The Debt
Metascore
Available after 4 critic reviews
8.7
Where to Watch
Summary Set against the backdrop of an international finance deal with profound social implications, a wealthy American businessman sets out to score the deal of a lifetime and gets entangled in a battle for land, money, and power in Peru.
Directed By: Barney Elliott
Written By: Barney Elliott
Where to Watch
Top Cast
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.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 6 User Ratings
8.7
83% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
17% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 6 User Ratings
8.7
83% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
17% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Financial complexity, cultural preservation and compelling drama seem like concepts few and far in between, but Director Barney Elliot uniquely incorporated them into an entertaining thriller. The character decisions of a money- hungry businessman Oliver, trying to buy debts, a determined nurse Maria, and a stubborn Peruvian farmer passionate about his family land affect one another in such an unexpected but moving way. The Debt’s rippling effect of those different characters’ story lines are a brilliant method to illustrate the consequences of one’s decisions relating back to the 1968 agrarian reform in Peru and I recommend this for anyone who is a fan of heart-felt dramas.
Report
This film encompasses all sides of how a seemingly urgent decision can quickly ruin the lives of others. Beginning with acting veteran Stephen Dorff playing as Oliver, we follow Oliver in an intense pursuit to Peru to obtain a remaining bond from a single farmer as ordered by his boss. Meanwhile, we're taken through the emotionally churning lives of two other characters; the farmer, torn between giving up his land or keeping it and a nurse in dire need of healthcare for her sick mother. Novice writer/director Barney Elliott shows true promise of solid storytelling by intertwining these three lives on screen, what seems like effortlessly. A true movie-goer's film, in my opinion.
Report
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.
Report
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.
Report
Production Company
Atlantic Pictures (II),
Viracocha Films,
Arcadia Motion Pictures,
Mogambo
Release Date Jun 24, 2016
Duration 1 h 39 m
Rating TV-14
Genres
Awards
Málaga Spanish Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 3 Nominations
Woodstock Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
New Hampshire Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
