list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Revanche on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Revanche/363637/default.aspx Title: Revanche
Year: 2008
Director: Götz Spielmann
Plot: A happily married couple becomes unlikely friends with a man whose life has been marked by chaos and violence in this drama from Austria. Alex (Johannes Krisch) is a small-time criminal who after a stretch in prison finds himself working for Konecny (Hanno Poeschi), who run a grimy house of prostitution; unknown to Konecny, Alex is also involved with Tamara (Irina Potapenko), one of his whores. Wanting to raise some quick cash, Alex robs a bank in a nearby small town and hides out on a farm owned by his grandfather (Hannes Thanheiser) while he waits for the heat to cool down. Alex tries to keep a low profile while waiting for Tamara to join him in the country, and he's troubled by boredom and despair, but his mood brightens when he strikes up a friendship with Susanne (Ursula Strauss), a cheerful and generous woman who lives nearby. But Alex's new friend happens to be married to Robert (Andreas Lust), a member of the local police force. Revanche was screened as an official entry at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 6
Number of Lists: 4
Number of blog posts: 13
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 04:09:40 GMTRevanche2008Götz SpielmannA happily married couple becomes unlikely friends with a man whose life has been marked by chaos and violence in this drama from Austria. Alex (Johannes Krisch) is a small-time criminal who after a stretch in prison finds himself working for Konecny (Hanno Poeschi), who run a grimy house of prostitution; unknown to Konecny, Alex is also involved with Tamara (Irina Potapenko), one of his whores. Wanting to raise some quick cash, Alex robs a bank in a nearby small town and hides out on a farm owned by his grandfather (Hannes Thanheiser) while he waits for the heat to cool down. Alex tries to keep a low profile while waiting for Tamara to join him in the country, and he's troubled by boredom and despair, but his mood brightens when he strikes up a friendship with Susanne (Ursula Strauss), a cheerful and generous woman who lives nearby. But Alex's new friend happens to be married to Robert (Andreas Lust), a member of the local police force. Revanche was screened as an official entry at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide6Taggedy Taggged (6-10)4134http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s363637.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Revanche/363637/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/kevynknox/archive/2009/7/13/43018.aspx Post By: KevynKnox
Post To: KevynKnox Blog
Post Date: 7/13/2009 12:09:40 AM
Body: (this review was first published at www.thecinematheque.com on 06/21/09) With its moody temperament and (almost) Eastern European roots, Austrian filmmaker Gotz Spielmann's Revanche plays out as high tragedy worthy of Chekhov or Turgenev, or perhaps Tarkovsky or Bresson (or Cassavetes in an American turn) but always with a seeming oblivious wink toward its audience. This wink (intentional or not) works both in the film's favor for a while and as the ultimate let down when all is said and done. Though the story of two low rent lovers (played superbly by Johannas Krisch and Irina Potapenko) trying to escape the mundane humiliations of their urban lives by robbing a bank and heading for the proverbial hills, Revanche, as its title suggests, is essentially a tale of inevitable revenge after the aforementioned robbery goes tragically awry. This revenge theme works throughout most of the film, and through the glassy eyes of its antagonist, in perpetual foreshadowing motion, we see the ugly taste of that same said revenge piercing the flesh of all those around him. The film works on such a level, sort of a blend of Assayas and Ceylon, and the pacing and photography just add to the intensity exponentially building throughout. Once the finale comes, though well played, it is the farthest thing thing from a surprise as one can possibly get. This isn't necessarily a large flaw, for so many movies, both good and bad and everything in between, have quite predictable endings, but it still puts such a damper on an otherwise though provoking film as this. Perhaps it is not revenge, but forgiveness that humanity needs and therefore it is a moral tale of sorts - and I suppose it is - but nonetheless, Spielmann's precalculated coda falls a bit short of the rest of his coldly calculating tragi-drama. Perhaps this is mere nitpicking and not actual criticism, especially since I liked and recommend the film overall, but there you have it anyway. I suppose forgiveness is not my foray.
]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 04:09:40 GMTKevynKnoxKevynKnox Blog7/13/2009 12:09:40 AM(this review was first published at www.thecinematheque.com on 06/21/09) With its moody temperament and (almost) Eastern European roots, Austrian filmmaker Gotz Spielmann's Revanche plays out as high tragedy worthy of Chekhov or Turgenev, or perhaps Tarkovsky or Bresson (or Cassavetes in an American turn) but always with a seeming oblivious wink toward its audience. This wink (intentional or not) works both in the film's favor for a while and as the ultimate let down when all is said and done. Though the story of two low rent lovers (played superbly by Johannas Krisch and Irina Potapenko) trying to escape the mundane humiliations of their urban lives by robbing a bank and heading for the proverbial hills, Revanche, as its title suggests, is essentially a tale of inevitable revenge after the aforementioned robbery goes tragically awry. This revenge theme works throughout most of the film, and through the glassy eyes of its antagonist, in perpetual foreshadowing motion, we see the ugly taste of that same said revenge piercing the flesh of all those around him. The film works on such a level, sort of a blend of Assayas and Ceylon, and the pacing and photography just add to the intensity exponentially building throughout. Once the finale comes, though well played, it is the farthest thing thing from a surprise as one can possibly get. This isn't necessarily a large flaw, for so many movies, both good and bad and everything in between, have quite predictable endings, but it still puts such a damper on an otherwise though provoking film as this. Perhaps it is not revenge, but forgiveness that humanity needs and therefore it is a moral tale of sorts - and I suppose it is - but nonetheless, Spielmann's precalculated coda falls a bit short of the rest of his coldly calculating tragi-drama. Perhaps this is mere nitpicking and not actual criticism, especially since I liked and recommend the film overall, but there you have it anyway. I suppose forgiveness is not my foray. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/1/2/39035.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/2/2009 9:00:46 AM
Body: 2008 was not the banner year that ‘07 turned out to be, but there were still plenty of movies worth watching. Sometimes end-of-year lists look like straight Oscar predictions, with little deviance from critic to critic, not so this year. Some of our favorite stuff was not playing in a theatre near you, some of it was. For the record, our complete lists are after the jump. But first! Wholphin 7 is out now! The geniuses over at McSweeny’s have once again curated a delightful collection of rare and unseen short films. We share our thoughts about a few favorites. One film we both loved, Glory at Sea, is available for free here.   (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday) 0:00 - Intro, listener e-mail 2:59 - Wholphin 7 16:18 - Kevin’s list, Paul’s “soup” filmcouch-102 Paul’s unranked list: Tulpan Be Kind Rewind I Love Sarah Jane (entire film viewable) August Evening Shotgun Stories Revanche The Dark Knight Glory at Sea Kevin’s ranked list: 1. The Dark Knight 2. Let the Right One In 3. The Good, The Bad, and The Weird 4. Wall-E 5. Wellness 6. Happy-Go-Lucky 7. Glory at Sea 8. Waltz With Bashir 9. Medicine for Melancholy 10. Encounters at the End of the World Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:00:46 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/2/2009 9:00:46 AM 2008 was not the banner year that ‘07 turned out to be, but there were still plenty of movies worth watching. Sometimes end-of-year lists look like straight Oscar predictions, with little deviance from critic to critic, not so this year. Some of our favorite stuff was not playing in a theatre near you, some of it was. For the record, our complete lists are after the jump. But first! Wholphin 7 is out now! The geniuses over at McSweeny’s have once again curated a delightful collection of rare and unseen short films. We share our thoughts about a few favorites. One film we both loved, Glory at Sea, is available for free here.   (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday) 0:00 - Intro, listener e-mail 2:59 - Wholphin 7 16:18 - Kevin’s list, Paul’s “soup” filmcouch-102 Paul’s unranked list: Tulpan Be Kind Rewind I Love Sarah Jane (entire film viewable) August Evening Shotgun Stories Revanche The Dark Knight Glory at Sea Kevin’s ranked list: 1. The Dark Knight 2. Let the Right One In 3. The Good, The Bad, and The Weird 4. Wall-E 5. Wellness 6. Happy-Go-Lucky 7. Glory at Sea 8. Waltz With Bashir 9. Medicine for Melancholy 10. Encounters at the End of the World Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/10/29/36756.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 10/29/2008 10:01:17 AM
Body: Robert Downey Jr has signed on to star as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, and The Avengers. This, plus his starring role in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, will put the Less Than Zero survivor in at least one summer tentpole per year through 2012. Say it with me: poor, poor Andrew McCarthy. Mike Nichols will direct a David Mamet-scripted remake of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low. Martic Scorsese comissioned the script from Mamet; he’ll now executive produce. In an unusual deal, Janus and sister company Criterion Collection have acquired theatrical and DVD rights to Revanche, the Austrian Foreign Language Oscar contender which premiered in Berlin and went on to Telluride. Janus, known for its library of classic art films, hasn’t handled a first-run theatrical release in 30 years. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:01:17 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog10/29/2008 10:01:17 AM Robert Downey Jr has signed on to star as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, and The Avengers. This, plus his starring role in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, will put the Less Than Zero survivor in at least one summer tentpole per year through 2012. Say it with me: poor, poor Andrew McCarthy. Mike Nichols will direct a David Mamet-scripted remake of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low. Martic Scorsese comissioned the script from Mamet; he’ll now executive produce. In an unusual deal, Janus and sister company Criterion Collection have acquired theatrical and DVD rights to Revanche, the Austrian Foreign Language Oscar contender which premiered in Berlin and went on to Telluride. Janus, known for its library of classic art films, hasn’t handled a first-run theatrical release in 30 years. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/10/29/36755.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/29/2008 10:01:06 AM
Body: Robert Downey Jr has signed on to star as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, and The Avengers. This, plus his starring role in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, will put the Less Than Zero survivor in at least one summer tentpole per year through 2012. Say it with me: poor, poor Andrew McCarthy. Mike Nichols will direct a David Mamet-scripted remake of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low. Martic Scorsese comissioned the script from Mamet; he’ll now executive produce. In an unusual deal, Janus and sister company Criterion Collection have acquired theatrical and DVD rights to Revanche, the Austrian Foreign Language Oscar contender which premiered in Berlin and went on to Telluride. Janus, known for its library of classic art films, hasn’t handled a first-run theatrical release in 30 years. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:01:06 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/29/2008 10:01:06 AM Robert Downey Jr has signed on to star as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, and The Avengers. This, plus his starring role in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, will put the Less Than Zero survivor in at least one summer tentpole per year through 2012. Say it with me: poor, poor Andrew McCarthy. Mike Nichols will direct a David Mamet-scripted remake of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low. Martic Scorsese comissioned the script from Mamet; he’ll now executive produce. In an unusual deal, Janus and sister company Criterion Collection have acquired theatrical and DVD rights to Revanche, the Austrian Foreign Language Oscar contender which premiered in Berlin and went on to Telluride. Janus, known for its library of classic art films, hasn’t handled a first-run theatrical release in 30 years. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/5/34782.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/5/2008 9:00:59 AM
Body: The Telluride Film Festival is what Sundance would be if it took place in heaven. Every year the tiny mountain hamlet hosts four days of hassle-free cinema paradise. There were grumblings about the lack of American films, but we still found plenty to love. Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake) came with his delightful new movie, Happy-Go-Lucky. He sat down for a disgruntled yet insightful interview. Paul Schrader (Affliction, Hardcore) seemed as blow away as we were by his latest film, Adam Resurrected, starring Jeff Goldblum. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday) 0:00 - Intro, Telluride faves: Waltz with Bashir, Revanche, The Good, the Bad, and the Weird, Tulpan, The Rest is Silence. 7:04 - Happy-Go-Lucky, with Mike Leigh interview. 19:52 - Adam Resurrected, with Paul Schrader interview. filmcouch-86 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:00:59 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/5/2008 9:00:59 AM The Telluride Film Festival is what Sundance would be if it took place in heaven. Every year the tiny mountain hamlet hosts four days of hassle-free cinema paradise. There were grumblings about the lack of American films, but we still found plenty to love. Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake) came with his delightful new movie, Happy-Go-Lucky. He sat down for a disgruntled yet insightful interview. Paul Schrader (Affliction, Hardcore) seemed as blow away as we were by his latest film, Adam Resurrected, starring Jeff Goldblum. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday) 0:00 - Intro, Telluride faves: Waltz with Bashir, Revanche, The Good, the Bad, and the Weird, Tulpan, The Rest is Silence. 7:04 - Happy-Go-Lucky, with Mike Leigh interview. 19:52 - Adam Resurrected, with Paul Schrader interview. filmcouch-86 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/9/4/34736.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 9/4/2008 11:01:27 AM
Body: Prodigal Sons review The Curious Case of Benjamin Button preview (and backlash) Waltz with Bashir review Jeff Goldblum, Media Diet interview Helen review Tulpan review O’Horten review Learning Gravity review Ken Burns, Media Diet interview You Must Remember This: The Warner Brothers Story and tribute to Richard Schickel ‘Movies Are Over.’ Directors, Distribs & Journos Debate Future of Film & Criticism Hunger, Steve McQueen interview Slavoj Zizek and Nazi melodrama Telluride 2008 photos Slumdog Millionaire review Adam Resurrected, Paul Schrader interview Firaaq review The Rest is Silence review I’ve Loved You So Long review The Good, The Bad and the Weird interview with Kim Ji-Woon Revanche review Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:01:27 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog9/4/2008 11:01:27 AM Prodigal Sons review The Curious Case of Benjamin Button preview (and backlash) Waltz with Bashir review Jeff Goldblum, Media Diet interview Helen review Tulpan review O’Horten review Learning Gravity review Ken Burns, Media Diet interview You Must Remember This: The Warner Brothers Story and tribute to Richard Schickel ‘Movies Are Over.’ Directors, Distribs & Journos Debate Future of Film & Criticism Hunger, Steve McQueen interview Slavoj Zizek and Nazi melodrama Telluride 2008 photos Slumdog Millionaire review Adam Resurrected, Paul Schrader interview Firaaq review The Rest is Silence review I’ve Loved You So Long review The Good, The Bad and the Weird interview with Kim Ji-Woon Revanche review Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/4/34735.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/4/2008 11:01:18 AM
Body: Prodigal Sons review The Curious Case of Benjamin Button preview (and backlash) Waltz with Bashir review Jeff Goldblum, Media Diet interview Helen review Tulpan review O’Horten review Learning Gravity review Ken Burns, Media Diet interview You Must Remember This: The Warner Brothers Story and tribute to Richard Schickel ‘Movies Are Over.’ Directors, Distribs & Journos Debate Future of Film & Criticism Hunger, Steve McQueen interview Slavoj Zizek and Nazi melodrama Telluride 2008 photos Slumdog Millionaire review Adam Resurrected, Paul Schrader interview Firaaq review The Rest is Silence review I’ve Loved You So Long review The Good, The Bad and the Weird interview with Kim Ji-Woon Revanche review Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:01:18 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/4/2008 11:01:18 AM Prodigal Sons review The Curious Case of Benjamin Button preview (and backlash) Waltz with Bashir review Jeff Goldblum, Media Diet interview Helen review Tulpan review O’Horten review Learning Gravity review Ken Burns, Media Diet interview You Must Remember This: The Warner Brothers Story and tribute to Richard Schickel ‘Movies Are Over.’ Directors, Distribs & Journos Debate Future of Film & Criticism Hunger, Steve McQueen interview Slavoj Zizek and Nazi melodrama Telluride 2008 photos Slumdog Millionaire review Adam Resurrected, Paul Schrader interview Firaaq review The Rest is Silence review I’ve Loved You So Long review The Good, The Bad and the Weird interview with Kim Ji-Woon Revanche review Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/3/34707.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/3/2008 5:01:20 PM
Body: Revanche had its North American premiere here at Telluride 2008 and was far and away one of the most exciting new films playing. It’s a revenge thriller with cinema purist sensibilities from acclaimed Austrian director, Götz Spielmann. Keeping its German title, Revanche, the word carries two meanings: Revenge, but also a kind of second chance. In the Austrian countryside, Robert and Susanne (Andreas Lust and Ursula Strauss) have built a cozy house and are trying to start a family. He’s as a rural cop, she works at the local grocery and on Sundays she takes her elderly, widowed neighbor to church. In the red light district of Vienna, Alex (Johannes Krisch) is the errand boy for a pimp and has started an amorous–and very secret–relationship with one of his prostitutes, Tamara (Irina Potapenko). When the desperation of escaping Vienna kicks in for Alex and Tamara, it looks as if Revanche is heading into familiar genre territory: Alex plans a bank job out in the country (”What can go wrong?”), it goes wrong and Tamara is killed in the getaway by a cop, Robert. But it’s when Alex goes to hide out on his grandfather’s farm and realizes the cop who killed his girlfriend lives next door, the movie screeches like a getaway car into unexpected territory. With an excuse that his mother told him to chop all the wood for winter, Alex arrives at his grandfather’s farm. The wood pile is enormous, creating a sisyphean task. What follows are long takes of Alex in a self-imposed labor camp, cutting log after log to regulate the overwhelming grief and violence wanting to come out of him. The quiet little countryside becomes a cauldron, lit by the death of a Russian prostitute, where all four characters will be melted down to reveal what they’re made of. Johannes Krisch’s physicality alone is brooding and boyish, volatile and seductive, giving us the space to fear and like him. In an interesting sidenote, Spielmann mentioned in the Q&A afterward that people don’t feel at home in their skin when concentrating on what their saying. So, he and the actors rehearsed until what they said was no longer important, then their bodies began to do the acting. Spielmann also doesn’t use music, but the sound of the buzz saw and animal cries in the woods are more ominous than any music. He doesn’t give any easy answers away and we’re left wondering about the choices his characters make long after the movie ends. A typical revenge plot is fueled by the hero’s obsession, but Revanche has a different kind of energy, fueled by the collison of four obsessions. It’s a fascinating watch and by veering from the beats of a typical revenge plot with Revanche, Spielmann elevates the genre to a new level. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:01:20 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/3/2008 5:01:20 PMRevanche had its North American premiere here at Telluride 2008 and was far and away one of the most exciting new films playing. It’s a revenge thriller with cinema purist sensibilities from acclaimed Austrian director, Götz Spielmann. Keeping its German title, Revanche, the word carries two meanings: Revenge, but also a kind of second chance. In the Austrian countryside, Robert and Susanne (Andreas Lust and Ursula Strauss) have built a cozy house and are trying to start a family. He’s as a rural cop, she works at the local grocery and on Sundays she takes her elderly, widowed neighbor to church. In the red light district of Vienna, Alex (Johannes Krisch) is the errand boy for a pimp and has started an amorous–and very secret–relationship with one of his prostitutes, Tamara (Irina Potapenko). When the desperation of escaping Vienna kicks in for Alex and Tamara, it looks as if Revanche is heading into familiar genre territory: Alex plans a bank job out in the country (”What can go wrong?”), it goes wrong and Tamara is killed in the getaway by a cop, Robert. But it’s when Alex goes to hide out on his grandfather’s farm and realizes the cop who killed his girlfriend lives next door, the movie screeches like a getaway car into unexpected territory. With an excuse that his mother told him to chop all the wood for winter, Alex arrives at his grandfather’s farm. The wood pile is enormous, creating a sisyphean task. What follows are long takes of Alex in a self-imposed labor camp, cutting log after log to regulate the overwhelming grief and violence wanting to come out of him. The quiet little countryside becomes a cauldron, lit by the death of a Russian prostitute, where all four characters will be melted down to reveal what they’re made of. Johannes Krisch’s physicality alone is brooding and boyish, volatile and seductive, giving us the space to fear and like him. In an interesting sidenote, Spielmann mentioned in the Q&A afterward that people don’t feel at home in their skin when concentrating on what their saying. So, he and the actors rehearsed until what they said was no longer important, then their bodies began to do the acting. Spielmann also doesn’t use music, but the sound of the buzz saw and animal cries in the woods are more ominous than any music. He doesn’t give any easy answers away and we’re left wondering about the choices his characters make long after the movie ends. A typical revenge plot is fueled by the hero’s obsession, but Revanche has a different kind of energy, fueled by the collison of four obsessions. It’s a fascinating watch and by veering from the beats of a typical revenge plot with Revanche, Spielmann elevates the genre to a new level. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/paul/archive/2008/9/3/34706.aspx Post By: paul
Post To: paul on spout.com
Post Date: 9/3/2008 5:01:03 PM
Body: Revanche had its North American premiere here at Telluride 2008 and was far and away one of the most exciting new films playing. It’s a revenge thriller with cinema purist sensibilities from acclaimed Austrian director, Götz Spielmann. Keeping its German title, Revanche, the word carries two meanings: Revenge, but also a kind of second chance. In the Austrian countryside, Robert and Susanne (Andreas Lust and Ursula Strauss) have built a cozy house and are trying to start a family. He’s as a rural cop, she works at the local grocery and on Sundays she takes her elderly, widowed neighbor to church. In the red light district of Vienna, Alex (Johannes Krisch) is the errand boy for a pimp and has started an amorous–and very secret–relationship with one of his prostitutes, Tamara (Irina Potapenko). When the desperation of escaping Vienna kicks in for Alex and Tamara, it looks as if Revanche is heading into familiar genre territory: Alex plans a bank job out in the country (”What can go wrong?”), it goes wrong and Tamara is killed in the getaway by a cop, Robert. But it’s when Alex goes to hide out on his grandfather’s farm and realizes the cop who killed his girlfriend lives next door, the movie screeches like a getaway car into unexpected territory. With an excuse that his mother told him to chop all the wood for winter, Alex arrives at his grandfather’s farm. The wood pile is enormous, creating a sisyphean task. What follows are long takes of Alex in a self-imposed labor camp, cutting log after log to regulate the overwhelming grief and violence wanting to come out of him. The quiet little countryside becomes a cauldron, lit by the death of a Russian prostitute, where all four characters will be melted down to reveal what they’re made of. Johannes Krisch’s physicality alone is brooding and boyish, volatile and seductive, giving us the space to fear and like him. In an interesting sidenote, Spielmann mentioned in the Q&A afterward that people don’t feel at home in their skin when concentrating on what their saying. So, he and the actors rehearsed until what they said was no longer important, then their bodies began to do the acting. Spielmann also doesn’t use music, but the sound of the buzz saw and animal cries in the woods are more ominous than any music. He doesn’t give any easy answers away and we’re left wondering about the choices his characters make long after the movie ends. A typical revenge plot is fueled by the hero’s obsession, but Revanche has a different kind of energy, fueled by the collison of four obsessions. It’s a fascinating watch and by veering from the beats of a typical revenge plot with Revanche, Spielmann elevates the genre to a new level. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul Moore
]]>Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:01:03 GMTpaulpaul on spout.com9/3/2008 5:01:03 PMRevanche had its North American premiere here at Telluride 2008 and was far and away one of the most exciting new films playing. It’s a revenge thriller with cinema purist sensibilities from acclaimed Austrian director, Götz Spielmann. Keeping its German title, Revanche, the word carries two meanings: Revenge, but also a kind of second chance. In the Austrian countryside, Robert and Susanne (Andreas Lust and Ursula Strauss) have built a cozy house and are trying to start a family. He’s as a rural cop, she works at the local grocery and on Sundays she takes her elderly, widowed neighbor to church. In the red light district of Vienna, Alex (Johannes Krisch) is the errand boy for a pimp and has started an amorous–and very secret–relationship with one of his prostitutes, Tamara (Irina Potapenko). When the desperation of escaping Vienna kicks in for Alex and Tamara, it looks as if Revanche is heading into familiar genre territory: Alex plans a bank job out in the country (”What can go wrong?”), it goes wrong and Tamara is killed in the getaway by a cop, Robert. But it’s when Alex goes to hide out on his grandfather’s farm and realizes the cop who killed his girlfriend lives next door, the movie screeches like a getaway car into unexpected territory. With an excuse that his mother told him to chop all the wood for winter, Alex arrives at his grandfather’s farm. The wood pile is enormous, creating a sisyphean task. What follows are long takes of Alex in a self-imposed labor camp, cutting log after log to regulate the overwhelming grief and violence wanting to come out of him. The quiet little countryside becomes a cauldron, lit by the death of a Russian prostitute, where all four characters will be melted down to reveal what they’re made of. Johannes Krisch’s physicality alone is brooding and boyish, volatile and seductive, giving us the space to fear and like him. In an interesting sidenote, Spielmann mentioned in the Q&A afterward that people don’t feel at home in their skin when concentrating on what their saying. So, he and the actors rehearsed until what they said was no longer important, then their bodies began to do the acting. Spielmann also doesn’t use music, but the sound of the buzz saw and animal cries in the woods are more ominous than any music. He doesn’t give any easy answers away and we’re left wondering about the choices his characters make long after the movie ends. A typical revenge plot is fueled by the hero’s obsession, but Revanche has a different kind of energy, fueled by the collison of four obsessions. It’s a fascinating watch and by veering from the beats of a typical revenge plot with Revanche, Spielmann elevates the genre to a new level. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul Moore http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/3/34701.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/3/2008 4:00:29 PM
Body: I’ve Loved You So Long came into Telluride with a lot of buzz about this being Kristen Scott Thomas‘ soon-to-be Oscar winning performance. Like Forrest Whittaker in The Last King of Scotland two years ago, it was the performance not to miss. So, I didn’t. And if Kristen Scott Thomas wins an Oscar it’s because there are very few actresses who can hold an audience for two hours alternating between chain smoking with a million-mile-stare and delivering long, expository monologues about her backstory. I mean that as a compliment to Ms. Thomas and a criticism to director, Philippe Claudel. Juliette (Kristen Scott Thomas) sits in an airport in France smoking. Her face is a map of heartache. In fact, it looks more dead than alive, which is probably the most impressive moment of the movie. (Why do directors insist that great actors talk so much?) Her sister, Léa (Elsa Zylberstein) arrives late. The ride to her sister’s country home is icy. They haven’t seen each other in a long time and they want to discuss anything but why. That’s how I’ve Loved You So Long begins. Quickly, we learn Juliette has been in prison fifteen years for murder. But obviously she’s not considered dangerous because her sister brought her home to live with her husband, two adopted daughters and mute father-in-law. Juliette and Léa reluctantly embark on trying to be sisters again. Meanwhile, Juliette looks for a job, smokes, visits her parole officer (Frédéric Pierrot, the most compelling character with the least screen time) and slowly defrosts around her sister’s family and friends. When somebody tries to talk to her, she snaps at them, but when she chooses to talk to somebody, there’s a huge backlog of stories about herself she needs to share. Its kind of a rhythm: Smoking, snapping, talking. Smoking, snapping, talking. It doesn’t take too much time for the audience to discern the nature of the murder she served time for, but for some reason the director orchestrates a big reveal at the climax of the movie, which is anything but. Juliette’s a classic tragedian whose slowly stepping toward a grand catharsis, a moment that begs us to be stunned by what we’ve known all along. At Berlin, I’ve Loved You So Long won the Ecumenical Prize for best picture promoting unity or something. I guess it won because we feel compassion for a prisoner walking the streets after serving time for a crime of compassion. But isn’t that kind of a non-criminal? It’d be like making a movie about learning to forgive Harriet Tubman for all the lies she told. I think if the award validates anything, it’s that people love to have great actors repeat their beliefs back to them. Now Revanche on the other hand. Phew-ee. That movie had a slimeball ex-con who was so magnetic I wanted to hire him as a nanny. Figure out how the director promoted that kind of unity because I can’t. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:00:29 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/3/2008 4:00:29 PMI’ve Loved You So Long came into Telluride with a lot of buzz about this being Kristen Scott Thomas‘ soon-to-be Oscar winning performance. Like Forrest Whittaker in The Last King of Scotland two years ago, it was the performance not to miss. So, I didn’t. And if Kristen Scott Thomas wins an Oscar it’s because there are very few actresses who can hold an audience for two hours alternating between chain smoking with a million-mile-stare and delivering long, expository monologues about her backstory. I mean that as a compliment to Ms. Thomas and a criticism to director, Philippe Claudel. Juliette (Kristen Scott Thomas) sits in an airport in France smoking. Her face is a map of heartache. In fact, it looks more dead than alive, which is probably the most impressive moment of the movie. (Why do directors insist that great actors talk so much?) Her sister, Léa (Elsa Zylberstein) arrives late. The ride to her sister’s country home is icy. They haven’t seen each other in a long time and they want to discuss anything but why. That’s how I’ve Loved You So Long begins. Quickly, we learn Juliette has been in prison fifteen years for murder. But obviously she’s not considered dangerous because her sister brought her home to live with her husband, two adopted daughters and mute father-in-law. Juliette and Léa reluctantly embark on trying to be sisters again. Meanwhile, Juliette looks for a job, smokes, visits her parole officer (Frédéric Pierrot, the most compelling character with the least screen time) and slowly defrosts around her sister’s family and friends. When somebody tries to talk to her, she snaps at them, but when she chooses to talk to somebody, there’s a huge backlog of stories about herself she needs to share. Its kind of a rhythm: Smoking, snapping, talking. Smoking, snapping, talking. It doesn’t take too much time for the audience to discern the nature of the murder she served time for, but for some reason the director orchestrates a big reveal at the climax of the movie, which is anything but. Juliette’s a classic tragedian whose slowly stepping toward a grand catharsis, a moment that begs us to be stunned by what we’ve known all along. At Berlin, I’ve Loved You So Long won the Ecumenical Prize for best picture promoting unity or something. I guess it won because we feel compassion for a prisoner walking the streets after serving time for a crime of compassion. But isn’t that kind of a non-criminal? It’d be like making a movie about learning to forgive Harriet Tubman for all the lies she told. I think if the award validates anything, it’s that people love to have great actors repeat their beliefs back to them. Now Revanche on the other hand. Phew-ee. That movie had a slimeball ex-con who was so magnetic I wanted to hire him as a nanny. Figure out how the director promoted that kind of unity because I can’t. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspxfriendship
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