Revanche

First Hit: A wonderfully acted and interesting film.

The opening segment with the initial credits is very reflective of the film. The scene is of a quiet pond shot from a dead steady camera while the reflection is dark, clear and unmoving.

An object is dropped onto the water’s surface, the splash is followed by beautiful concentric circles rippling out. This reflects how one event in our life has ongoing repercussions.

The film tells a story about one such event and it uses two couples to tell it. The primary couple is an ex-con named Alex (played by Johannes Krisch), who works for a pimp that runs a whore house and he is in love with Tamara (played by Irina Potapenko) one of the whores.

She is younger, she is good at her job, and there is a connection between the two that is palatable, believable and honors each of the characters. The secondary couple is a policeman and his wife. They are building a life together, have a nice home and, as we discover, are having a difficult time having a child.

The depth and expression of Alex and Tamara’s relationship is outwardly expressed by his looking towards her for trusted companionship and sex, while she looks to him for life guidance and cocaine. The depth and shallowness of their relationship is real and is delivered in realistic scenes which outline their lives.

The policeman and his wife’s story is not as well defined but you know there is tension between them because they don’t feel like their life is complete. The couples connect in two ways, one connection is between Tamara and the policeman, while the second is between Alex and the policeman’s wife.

These connections, the realistic scenes, the pacing, the dialogue, the strong characters, and the silence draws the audience in and allows them to explore the characters and themselves.

Krisch is wonderful as Alex, showing tenderness and growth through the whole film without losing his edge as a loner who has done prison time and yet has a strong work ethic. Potapenko is very good at expressing both her being streetwise and her naiveté of life. I loved that there wasn't any music in the film. There was either dialog, silence, or the sound of movement of some kind. Dramatic parts weren’t filled with music to create enhanced drama, there is none in life and therefore there is none in this film. Götz Spielmann, the director, let the dialog, acting and storyline move the film forward.

Overall: This film is about, right, wrong, revenge (Revanche), trust and forgiveness and in telling this story it did a very fine job.

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