Irreversible
One of the most controversial films of the year!
Alex (Monica Bellucci) and Marcus (Vincent Cassel) are a couple whose story is told over the course of a fateful day. The odyssey begins with a brutal killing then unspools in reverse to reveal the horrifying events that lead to the gut-wrenching, violent climax of the opening scene. Irreversible's disturbing look at fate and destiny pushes the envelope of human emotions and takes filmmaking to another level.
Member Reviews
Unfortunate - Bacchus416
A good story made bad by lousy cinematography and a silly start at the end and move back "in reverse" concept. I hate it when directors do such dumb things so you don't forget that they are there. Such a pity having a good story ruined. I am sure in the directors "stuck in film school" mind he/she thought the erratic camera use as the story gets more raw was cool, but for me, it just turned me off.Exploitative - BahDawg
Quite simply, "Irreversible" is nothing more than shock exploitation. The film is essentially a vicious rape scene with a story built around it. The story is told backwards, for no apparent reason, and the photography is so jerky during the first half of the film that it makes you nauseous. In short, the so-called director employs ever gimmick in the book to feign talent.
Not a film for the sensitive or squeamish, "Irreversible" never justifies the violent acts within, hence, the charge of exploitation. Instead, we are left with the banal pronouncement that time destroys everything. The film reeks of pretension from start to finish and its only saving grace is the performance of both Cassel and Bellucci, who extract the msost from a confused and amateur script.
The only thing that was sadly irreversible about this train-wreck of a film was the time I will never get back from watching it.Difficult to watch due to the violence, but worth it for the cinematography and thematics; ****1/2 - Lone_Wolf
I should say this is not for everyone. Besides the extreme violence, the cinematography could be a huge put off for some people, even causing them physical sickness. For large lengths of the film, the camera roles, spins, and does all sorts of things I could never even have imagined could be done without CGI. However, French director Gaspar Noé somehow accomplished this task, producing some frankly breathtaking shots. In addition to this, all the takes are long. While I didn't count exactly, some I'm sure were over 10 minutes long with no cuts.
The most intriguing was the intro shot. We start off, spinning every which way with no sense of direction, and eventually end up in an apartment where two men have a short conversation about life. From there we pull right out of the apartment and arc over to a crime scene. We are lowered into the scene which seems very confusing, and the audience does not know what has happened until it is overheard that someone broke their arm, and another was murdered. And without a single cut as of yet, we follow an injured man in an ambulance, all the while having swirling camera motions disorienting us.
Not the easiest to watch, with scenes such as the murder and rape, which I found to be very hard to watch. But I found it defiantly worth it for the stirring and unsettling cinematography, long takes and tracking shots, as well as the characters who we slowly get to know and the situations and dialogues the engage in. The most important thing about the film which is why it is on this list is the explorations of what ‘fate’ is, and weather or not it is ‘real’. Movies on fate have always been incredibly intriguing to me, but Irreversible simply goes above and beyond most of them and ends up being a hauntingly (and shockingly) powerful film. Not for everyone, but it’s something I personally love.
Member Reviews
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Unfortunate - Bacchus416
A good story made bad by lousy cinematography and a silly start at the end and move back "in reverse" concept. I hate it when directors do such dumb things so you don't forget that they are there. Such a pity having a good story ruined. I am sure in the directors ...Exploitative - BahDawg
Quite simply, "Irreversible" is nothing more than shock exploitation. The film is essentially a vicious rape scene with a story built around it. The story is told backwards, for no apparent reason, and the photography is so jerky during the first half of the ...Difficult to watch due to the violence, but worth it for the cinematography and thematics; ****1/2 - Lone_Wolf
I should say this is not for everyone. Besides the extreme violence, the cinematography could be a huge put off for some people, even causing them physical sickness. For large lengths of the film, the camera roles, spins, and does all sorts of things I could ...