Is Foreign Cinema Overrated?

Last night I tried to watch an Austrian film called Revanche. It actually put me to sleep, before 11pm.

I'm not entirely sure which artistic movement films like this should be associated with. The camera work is simple and direct; scenes are shot from one angle, with few cuts. For the most part, nothing happens. Yet it was a well-received film and was nominated for an Academy award; more evidence, if any was needed, that the Oscars don't count for much.

The story is about a Viennese prostitute who robs a bank with her boyfriend. As they flee, a policeman tries to shoot out the tires of their car but hits her instead. It might sound like an exciting formula - plenty of opportunities for car chases and explosions. Instead, every opportunity for excitement is ignored, and the rest of the film is uneventful as a film can be while still having a plot.

Perhaps the lack of action is meant to reflect the boredom of Austrian life. Maybe it's a European way of getting back at Americans for the fast-paced brutality of American movies. Either way, I've found the limit of my tolerance for cinematic boredom.

But it's not all bad! A few nights before, I watched Terribly Happy, a Danish film about a policeman who is reassigned to a small town in the countryside. It was GREAT, and much more frightening than I'd expected. I'd watch it again in an instant.

Here's the Danish version of the poster, and no I can't pronounce it. Were there a movie like this for every movie like that, I'd be happy.