Revanche

Is it an accident? Or is it fate, coincidences predestined? You don't really think about these reservations as you are watching Austrian director-producer-screenwriter Götz Spielmann's quietly fascinating film, "Revanche." The one-word title in French translates to 'revenge.' But this is hardly your usual action thriller, though there are anxious suspenseful moments and bank heist involved.

Love the film. The storyline and the characters, the occurrence of incidents all seem to follow natural development - their own course (by design 'divine'). So few dialog and no music score at all, just birds chirping, sound of raindrops, everything naturally delivered. Well, the only human music being the accordion played by grandfather Hausner. One man's revengeful thoughts or action just might turn out to be blossoming into another's hopeful, joyous beginning of future. Two men hung up on one woman dead, both men acquiesced by one woman alive, whose optimistic intuition and trustful understanding may bring full circle to the string of events, perhaps liken to how nature takes care of itself? The engaging 'fate' element is somehow unbeknown to all parties involved (while the audience might marvel at the clues, possibly unaware also).

As I was quietly watching the film following the story progression, I said to myself at one point: I hope this is where the film ends and go on no more. The next second the screen did fade to black and the end credits start rolling, without any music other than birds chirping can be heard, and later on, sound of raindrops falling for the rest of the credit roll.

What a script! So perfectly directed, and such steady subtle performances from the ensemble cast of characters. The four main roles are so solidly portrayed: Alex by Johannes Krisch and his girlfriend Tamara by Irina Potapenko; Robert the policeman by Andreas Lust and his wife Susanne by Ursula Strauss. A satisfying movie experience, it is. I actually appreciate this film more than the winning 2008 Oscar foreign film "Departures" - well, it's different in story layers and 'Departures' encompasses many aspects, while "Revanche" also has its layers of emotions, psychological human nature perspectives, is delivered 'clean' and focused, ever so naturally acceptable of human foibles, vulnerability and one woman's life force. A very humanistic film - a MUST SEE.

As seen at the AFI Film Festival, Revanche is a tight thriller that is at a the same time a mood piece and a human moral drama. Austrian's official submission for the foreign language category in the 2009 Academy Awards is likely to this reviewer to get the nomination. Following the lives of two couples, a prostitute and a thug, a cop and his wife; tragic circumstances converge their lives when a bank robbery goes awry. Featuring a stand out performance by Tommy Lee Jones look-alike Johannes Krisch as the thug Alex, the man creates tension when out of frame, in the nick of shadows and in front of the camera. His character of Alex is a tortured soul that the audience is never sure off; his intentions or actions are hidden behind a mask of serenity. Not satisfied with being a replica of Jones, he also gives a very Tommy Lee Jones no-frills turn that keeps the movie afloat. Director Gotz Spielman creates tension using sound and extremely detailed camera set-ups. Not show-offy in anyway but including two long one take shots, he also uses his DP to infuse the screen with pale and desaturated color tones for nights scenes and natural lighting for daylight scenes, all used to provide a flat élan on the screen. It effectively supports the vibe of these revenge melodrama. What could be hammy in another director's hands becomes poetry in his. The sound of the ax smashing a block of wood never seemed more intimate. When a director uses it in such a way that the viewer feels inside the innards of a man's soul, you know the director knows his stuff. Intricate and detailed, it is consummate from top to bottom. If there is any qualms with the movie, it is in the character of Robert the cop played by Andreas Lust. His character arc is supposed to mirror Alex but he never earns the audience's sympathy the way Alex does; yet his story is geared toward such a response. The character is slightly underwritten and the actor never engages the character the way Johannes does. Playing against our expectations to create an ending reminiscent of Greek tragedy, it is a worthy movie experience and the best movie I've seen in 2008 along with Mike Leigh's Happy go lucky.

A guy and his woman. They both work in a brothel and are both working on their plan to escape that place for good. So far none of their plans have worked out and a new plan is devised. When the plan starts rolling the woman is anxious and afraid it will fail, but the man presses on. It all starts out really well, but it quickly turns sour. The rest of the film then is the more or less logical follow up of these events - with the one red line thought through it all being - getting even.

Films like this work out rather well when the characters are believable - and they are in this one. All the things that happen happen in a more or less fitting way and as events turn darker and darker one cannot escape from both a grin and a grimace. It's fun and nasty at the same time and plays out as a somewhat predictable book, but in a good way. The main character plays out his role very well and most of the other characters play out very well too - there's only a few of them that fall out of style too much to be really fitting.

8 out of 10 choices backfiring

Greetings again from the darkness. Is it revenge or a second chance? The double meaning of the title fits perfectly with this terrific, believable story. Nominated for Best Foreign Film last year, it is just now making its way to Dallas - one of the few downsides to not living in NYC.

What I love is the subtle approach of the filmmaker, director Gotz Spielmann, who obviously is a keen observer of people - moreso, I would guess, than a film buff. As a viewer, we thoroughly believe this story would play out this way because these people are reacting to real situations.

Johannes Krisch is captivating and powerful as Alex, one of the brutes working at a brothel. This is where he meets and falls for Tamara, played touchingly by Irina Potapenko. Alex hatches a plan that will allow the two to escape and start over. The plan goes well right up until the end. That's when things get really interesting.

Alex is thrown unexpectedly into the real life of police officer Robert (Andreas Lust) and his wife Susanne (fascinating acting from Ursula Strauss). Alex drops out of society on his grandfather's (Johannes Thanheiser) farm. The coincidences lead to a touch of comedy and also some real soul searching from Robert, Susanne and Alex.

The film could have ended about three different ways and I couldn't have been more happy with what we get. This is a rare film that should be seen by many more than will have the opportunity. That's a shame.

I recently saw this at the 2009 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Writer/Director Martin Gschlacht offers up a tale of crime and revenge from Austria in a good looking cinematic presentation although the story set up is a little long and characters you expect to return are discarded. Despite it's too long beginning the film never really lags and keeps your interest with it's slick story from Gschlacht and wonderful cinematography from Gotz Spielmann and a great production design by Maria Gruber. Alex (Johannes Krisch) has fallen in love with Ukrainian immigrant Tamara (Irina Potapenko) who works in a brothel where Alex does odd jobs for the underworld brothel owner. In a plan to get out of debt and the control of the brothel Alex hatches a plot to rob a bank in his grandfather's rural village. Alex is forced to assimilate into the village when his plan is botched. With Ursala Strauss as the shopkeeper Susanne and Andreas Lust as her policeman husband Robert this is a good film but would carry a strong R rating for nudity and sexual situations. Fortunately, violence is kept at a minimum. I believe this is Austria's official submission to the Oscars for Best Foreign Language film. I would give it a 7.5 out of 10 and recommend it.