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REVANCHEMovie Reviews
Austrian drama about a happily married couple who become unlikely friends with a man whose life has been marked by chaos and violence. Cast:Johannes Krisch, Ursula Strauss, Andreas Lust, Irina Potapenko, Hannes ThanheiserDirector:Götz SpielmannRelease Date:May 1, 2009DVD Release:February 16, 2010From:Janus FilmsLength:2 hr 1 min
Revanche played in key cities to outstanding reviews. • Kenneth Turan wrote in the Los Angeles Times, "...darkly compelling... its carefully plotted, convincing scenario will leave you with a lot on your mind." • And John Hartl wrote in the Seattle Times, "...deserves comparison with grade-A Hitchcock.... the film gradually achieves a purity that's quite startling." More Reviews Below...
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (9 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...a tidy, glum thriller that aims for a tone of sour humanism... the result is a pileup of motives and implications that undermine the blunt impact of the story."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 455 words, 05/01/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...first-rate.... perceptive in observing characters... Rare is the thriller that is more about the reasons of people instead of the needs of the plot."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 829 words, 08/06/09
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...darkly compelling... its carefully plotted, convincing scenario will leave you with a lot on your mind.... There are no stylistic flourishes in this film, no wasted motion..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 607 words, 05/08/09
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "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."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 239 words, 05/01/09
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "A film of carefully strained pulp and rigorously controlled intrigue... belongs to a neo-noir universe where all the classical genre laws apply."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 575 words, 08/07/09
Stephen Cole, Toronto Globe & Mail: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Both female leads are compelling, artfully concealed characters. But it is star Johannes Krisch as Alex, who commands our attention, making 'Revanche' riveting..."(See all of Stephen Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 567 words, 01/22/10
Scott Foundas, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "Directed with terrific control and economy of means by Götz Spielmann... 'Revanche' gets its hooks into you early and leaves them there..."(See all of Scott Foundas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 518 words, 04/29/09
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Götz Speilmann toys brilliantly with our expectations... an anti-thriller - deliberate, thoughtful, with deep, complex characters. Kinda creeps up on you..."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 193 words, 01/21/10
Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...doesn't follow predictable Hollywood rules for the genre.... an impressive character study, not just of people but a society in the throes of social change."(See all of Cary Darling's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 353 words, 07/03/09
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an extraordinary film, mythic in feeling, about an ex-con who falls in love with a prostitute and how their lives intertwine fatefully with that of a policeman and his wife."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 661 words, 06/05/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "A 2009 foreign-language Oscar nominee... a slow-burning, character-rich study in desperation, grief, vengeance, loyalty, and love."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 287 words, 11/06/09
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "There's a moral beauty in the movie's consideration of violence and vengeance. A man can accept a moment of true clarity even if it's from someone who doesn't know you've planned to kill him."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 695 words, 05/01/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...digs deep into its characters' emotions... ends with a rumbling, symbolic clap of summer thunder that's more nerve-racking than a car chase and shootout."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 176 words, 06/05/09
Stan Hall, Portland Oregonian: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...continually explores surprising, rewarding territory; even an erotically charged subplot dovetails nicely with themes of vengeance, mortality and renewal."(See all of Stan Hall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 191 words, 06/12/09
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...gets under your skin and stays there for days. It contains one or two ludicrous passages, such as the most abrupt orgasmic love scene since 'Mandingo.' "(See all of Michael Sragow's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 540 words, 06/19/09
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...mines deep performances and enduring ideas about guilt, fate and vengeance in this muted psychological thriller. (The title is the French word for revenge.)"(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 444 words, 06/26/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Scott Foundas, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "Directed with terrific control and economy of means by Götz Spielmann... 'Revanche' gets its hooks into you early and leaves them there..."(See all of Scott Foundas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 518 words, 04/29/09
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "Götz Spielmann's neo-film noir seems like a parody of a foreign film. But as it unfolds, it constructs a parable of crime and punishment, redemption and revenge."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 162 words, 04/30/09
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Götz Speilmann toys brilliantly with our expectations... an anti-thriller - deliberate, thoughtful, with deep, complex characters. Kinda creeps up on you..."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 193 words, 01/21/10
Ted Scheinman, Washington City Paper: VERY GOOD "...slowly generates an incongruous warmth, in which the question of blame cedes to the notion that tragedy doesn't obliterate as much as it seems to..."(See all of Ted Scheinman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 341 words, 05/28/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...a tidy, glum thriller that aims for a tone of sour humanism... the result is a pileup of motives and implications that undermine the blunt impact of the story."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 455 words, 05/01/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "It's amazing how much drama can come out of repression and restraint.... Mr. Spielmann's film is full of surprises and, in its distinctive way, full of life."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 05/08/09
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...darkly compelling... its carefully plotted, convincing scenario will leave you with a lot on your mind.... There are no stylistic flourishes in this film, no wasted motion..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 607 words, 05/08/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Alissa Simon, Daily Variety: OUTSTANDING "All actors turn in fine, naturalistic perfs, but it would be remiss not to remark on 83-year-old Hannes Thanheiser's profoundly moving turn as the grandfather."(See all of Alissa Simon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 426 words, 02/25/08
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...darkly compelling... its carefully plotted, convincing scenario will leave you with a lot on your mind.... There are no stylistic flourishes in this film, no wasted motion..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 607 words, 05/08/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...a tidy, glum thriller that aims for a tone of sour humanism... the result is a pileup of motives and implications that undermine the blunt impact of the story."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 455 words, 05/01/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "It's amazing how much drama can come out of repression and restraint.... Mr. Spielmann's film is full of surprises and, in its distinctive way, full of life."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 05/08/09
14.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Revanche's reviews are separated by an average 14.9 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Revanche (27 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Revanche's reviews cover 30.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 11,036 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 409 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 29 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Revanche's reviews on average broke 29 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Revanche's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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