Revanche (2008)

An ex-con (Johannes Krisch) who works in a Vienna brothel is in love with one of the prostitutes, a Ukrainian (Irina Potapenko). He plots a robbery which will be their ticket to freedom. A policeman (Andreas Lust) has a seemingly happy marriage but his wife (Ursula Strauss) has a miscarriage and they seem unable to conceive a child, something they both desperately want. Their parallel stories cross, horribly and tragically, in this tale of revenge and redemption. An Oscar nominee for best foreign language film, director Gotz Spielmann's probing and intense screenplay is hindered by a near sluggish snail pacing, practically crying out "This is profound!". As if a taut and suspenseful, well edited movie can't also be artful and have something to say. But if you hang in there and don't throw the towel in, you'll be rewarded with a well crafted, fascinating film with twists and turns that while often predictable, still provide a punch. It takes awhile to warm up to the characters, all of whom are terribly flawed and initially off-putting but by the end, Spielmann opens them up and lets understand their pain, guilt and fear. The handsome cinematography is courtesy of Martin Gschlacht.