Nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film two years ago, Revanche is a gripping crime thriller but revels instead in the consequences of crime rather than the crime itself. Realism isn't a word normally associated with the genre but the characters here are living, breathing beings with high hopes, damning faults and everything else that makes us who we are and do the things we do.
Alex (Krisch) is an ex-con working odd-jobs in a brothel in Vienna where his secret Ukrainian girlfriend Tamara (Potapenko) is a prostitute favoured by the boss. When Tamara is beaten by one of the brothel boss' friends, Alex puts his dream into action: he steals a car and takes Tamara away to the countryside to rob a village bank. The robbery goes well, but Tamara is shot in the getaway by cop Robert (Lust). Robert, struggling with a recent miscarriage suffered by his wife Susanne (Strauss), takes the responsibility of the shooting hard, and that has ramifications in his marriage. Susanne keeps herself busy helping elderly Hausner (Johannes Thanheiser), Alex's father.
There's enough material in Revanche (German for 'revenge' as well as 'second chance') for two films, but instead of padding out, the audience is treated to layers upon layers usually unfound in the genre. Director Gotz Speilmann refuses to sensationalise his story and plays everything down: the grim reality of the brothel and the 'breaking in' of the girls is played out in a matter of fact manner, as Tamara points out: "Why not go on like this? It's perfectly normal." The bank robbery too takes place without thrill or a complimentary soundtrack. The slow mending of the relationship between Alex and Hausner (Hausner doesn't trust his son, calling him a 'scoundrel') is also subtly played out without any 'big' movie moments. Cinematographer Martin Gschlacht taps into the gloom with moody, static shots. The slow pace does get a little samey, however.
There's always a sense that this story is written from character out, rather than their actions moulded to suit the plot - a total reversal of the Hollywood thriller. Revanche's plot developments keep changing the focus of the story, keeping the viewer guessing where it's all going and that's down to the three-dimensional characters. Speilmann needed actors at the top of their game to make it believable and got them in these five, perfectly tuned performances. It's odd to find a story where the audience is rooting for both sides but it's testament to Speilmann's script and the leads that they pulled it off.
