Good and Creepy

Revanche (Criterion), an atmospheric crime drama by Austrian writer-director Götz Spielmann, is memorable for its unusual use of landscape to comment on its characters, who include an ex-con hiding out after a bank robbery (during which his prostitute girlfriend was killed), the policeman whose place he is staying at and the cop’s wife. With artistry and subtlety, Spielmann has created a film that draws you in with its singular rhythms and offhand observations about the intersection of violence in everyday life. How Spielmann ties everything together with a master’s skill is what’s best about Revanche, one of the finest contemporary films Criterion has released. Numerous interesting extras include an interview with Spielmann; The Making of “Revanche,” a half-hour on-set documentary; and Foreign Land (Fremdland), Spielmann’s award-winning student short film (with an introduction by the director). originally posted on timessquare.com