Revanche
Janus Films | Release Date: May 1, 2009 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
84
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 22 Critic Reviews
Positive:
21
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
Austrian director Spielmann has long awaited discovery by a wider world, and for my money the gorgeous, brooding, unpredictable neo-noir Revanche is one of the year's best films. Read full review
100
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
An extraordinary film, mythic in feeling. Read full review
100
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Stephen Cole
A little bit of "Crime and Punishment" and a whole lot of "The Postman Always Rings Twice," Revanche, the Austrian candidate for last year's Best Foreign Language Film, is a surprisingly unruffled tale of love, thievery, murder and revenge. Read full review
91
Portland OregonianStan Hall
The film continually explores surprising, rewarding territory; even an erotically charged subplot dovetails nicely with themes of vengeance, mortality and renewal. Read full review
90
Film ThreatEric Campos
From the film's opening moments you won't be able to guess where the whole thing ultimately ends up and that's one of the many endearing qualities of Revanche. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
A darkly compelling film from Austria, can be viewed as either a thriller with psychological overtones or a psychological drama with thriller elements. Read full review
90
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
Spielmann doesn't move his camera much, but he doesn't have to. The uniformly crackerjack cast keeps things electric, yet always believable, even when behaving in ways that are shocking. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Spielmann’s deft storytelling is coupled with immaculate compositions that constrain the characters as confidently as any prison bars. Revanche reveals Spielmann as a true master of his craft. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Revanche was a foreign-language Oscar nominee this year, and it's a better movie than most of the films in the main race. The word "revanche" means "revenge" in German, but "waiting" would have been just as good. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Revanche involves a rare coming together of a male's criminal nature and a female's deep needs, entwined with a first-rate thriller. It is also perceptive in observing characters, including a proud old man. Rare is the thriller that is more about the reasons of people instead of the needs of the plot. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
Revanche has an unusual rhythm: Once it leaves the grotty urban despair behind for the deceptive calm of the countryside, it relaxes and explores the character’s interior lives. Read full review
88
St. Louis Post-DispatchJoe Williams
It sustains a palpable fatalism in such recurring details as a whirring buzz saw and the cry of a loon, while the static camera and lack of musical cues enable some unforeseeable plot twists. Read full review
88
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
A slow-burning, character-rich study in desperation, grief, vengeance, loyalty, and love. It's the sort of arthouse entry - in German, mostly - that gets you thinking about an English-language remake. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
Revanche is, first and foremost, a good story, craftily told. Read full review
80
Village VoiceScott Foundas
Revanche gets its hooks into you early and leaves them there. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Mr. Spielmann's film is full of surprises and, in its distinctive way, full of life. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
The coincidences might be too much for some, but viewers who can get past them will be treated to a suspenseful, well-acted, crisply photographed character study. Read full review
70
VarietyAlissa Simon
In what's essentially a six-hander, the casting is aces. All actors turn in fine, naturalistic perfs, but it would be remiss not to remark on 83-year-old Thanheiser's profoundly moving turn as the grandfather. Read full review
70
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
The characters and situations are interesting enough, and the filmmaking is sufficiently skilled to provide a measure of reasonably thoughtful entertainment. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderAndrea Gronvall
Writer-director Gotz Spielmann (Antares) avoids the clutter and manipulation of most thrillers, escalating tension almost solely through the characters' turbulent emotions. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
As long as Revanche focuses on the relationship between Tamara (Irina Potapenko), an indentured Ukrainian prostitute, and Alex (Johannes Krisch), the ex-con gofer and would-be tough guy who wants to help her escape, it's riveting. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterMaggie Lee
Hard luck conspires with bad sex in this unspectacular Austrian tale of crime and punishment. Read full review
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