Rating: 
Summary: IRREPLACESABLE!!!
Review: Being a lover of unique and out of hand movies that prolong the need to artify and influence modern cinema, Irreversible is quite, one of the most a van-gard aggresive films of the past 10 years. It's dearness to expand the visions of the imagination is quite franctly, an awaking of the new french (and the world!) film noir era. Masterfully excuted by the great young filmmaker Gaspar Noe and featuring a unique and somehow, never seen before comera operation method, that aptent to make the viewer believe that the whole movie was made in one long and continuos shot, proves that intelligent filmmaking is not just a good or diferent script, but that could also be achived with interesting/ingenious cinematography and versatile camera acrobatics. Other people that has review the film here, has complained that the cinematography and the camera operation is un-cinematic, i disagree completly on that. The film was shot a very complex way trying to imitate a vortex or a maze ad even more confusion to the fusion. What is so uncinemathic about it. I rather watch this film a thounsan times than many of the other new films that feaure the same boring camera effects trying to copy those "classic" ( like many people will argue) tricks brought by the Matrix trilogy. For me, the definition of being un-cinemathic is NOT DEARING to change or add new ideas to art. The memento thing is true. The film starts with the credits and ends on the title, the same way as the film. It stars horrendously, yet beautifully confusing and ends up in one of the must poetic and artistic shots in recent memory. The use of color in the film is just amazing!!! The first half of the film is strong, quite disgusting, shoking and incredibly disturbing, so purchase with discresion. Being a lover of strong and disturbing films like The Audition, Red to Kill, The untold story, Baise moi and lotz of ultra gory, deranged and explotation classics, I could say that I have seen it all and that I have the stomach and the brain to sit through any "disturbing" film, but I have to admit that the first half of this film is hard to watch, but at the same time is simply amazing. Irreversible is irreplacesable!
Rating: 
Summary: Irreversible ... or Irresponsible?
Review: This won't be the first time I've apparently disagreed with the critical consensus of a film, but I found IRREVERSIBLE to be downright boring with the notable exception of Bellucci's work. Much has been written about this film's "miraculous" (???) eleven minute rape sequence, and, perhaps, this is where I most strongly disagree with the critics. I don't think that there is any artistry associated to showing a woman so horribly, horribly, horribly brutalized at the hands of what appears to be a pure sadist. Of course, Bellucci brought the horror and angst to life while at the hands of her aggressor, and perhaps that in itself shows her personal bravery. However, as someone who has seen thousands of films, I can't imagine what was going through the mind of the sick person who wrote a scene that would subject a woman to such treatment. That aside, I find myself torn between whether or not the events on display are truly "irreversible" (meaning that you can't take back what's already happened) or "irresponsible" (meaning that the filmmaker may've unintentionally ignited the fantasies of potential street rapists everywhere). While there's nothing remotely titillating about Bellucci's attack, I find myself thinking, "Why was something so heinous ever committed to film?" If that's art, then I salute the filmmaker for having the courage to see his vision through. However, if that truly is art, how far has our society succumbed to sinfulness?
Rating:
Summary: An interesting film, but fairly superficial
Review: There are a couple of things I really liked about this film. I like the way the director plays with the conventional notion of the "happy ending" and I thought the acting here was supurb. However, the problem with this film is that it is ultimately a simplistic story that is "spiced" up with some over-the-top violence. This is a revenge story that, if told forward, would be dull and depressing. It is funny how many of the reviews here try to justify the violence in this film as adding to the story. That is ridiculous because the violence here is sensationalistic-- pure and simple. Would the story have changed if the guy was killed with a gun instead of having his head smashed in? Would a 2 minute rape scene have been any less effective than a 10 minute one? Did the club that they went to at the beginning need to be an s&m club that is perhaps the most demeaning portrayal of gay men that I have ever seen? The answer to all these questions is "no". The power of suggestion is much stronger than seeing a human head being reduced to a pancake. This film is very juvenille in many respects. I did enjoy it more than not while watching it-- but, after reflecting on it for a while, I have concluded that it is a pretty empty and soulless film.
Rating:
Summary: Bleak, unhappy, disturbing, shocking, grim and brilliant
Review: Gaspar Noe's Irreversible is an unforgettable film and one that is guaranteed to provoke a strong reaction. The first half of the film is so bleak and unpleasant that it's almost oppressive. Though it's not exactly a horror film itself, this film is darker and scarier than most horror films. Depicting a brutal head-bashing murder in a dingy hellish nightclub, and a vicious violent rape in the first forty-five minutes, it's difficult to watch and may be too much for most audiences. These scenes will not leave your head for a long time. The film unfolds in backwards chronological order, similar to Memento. More than just a simple gimmick, this structure adds even more depth to the experience. The main theme of the film seems to be choices that we make and the irreversible consequences of them. By having the film sequenced in reverse, we actually see the consequence before we see the choice. I agree with what Roger Ebert wrote in his review of Irreversible, saying that our present happiness depends on not knowing what will happen in the future. In this film we see the horrible, horrible circumstances that the characters are going to find themselves in. In the second half of the movie, when we see them in happier times, we know what is going to happen while they do not. This just makes it seem all the more tragic the way things turn out. The style of the film can be a bit much at times. In some scenes, the camera moves all over the place almost making The Blair Witch Project look relatively still in comparison. It's quite a cinematographic achievement, but it does call attention to itself. In contrast, during the rape scene the camera is completely still and does not cut away, presumably to force us to focus on what is happening onscreen. Irreversible is a fascinating film which will have you glued to the screen and also, at times, wanting to look away. It's powerful, well-made, brilliant and unforgettable. However, the first half of the film is mercilessly grimy, unsettling and dark giving nearly the most unpleasant feelings that this reviewer has ever had in a movie. It's not all that way, however, and the second half of the film shows the couple (Monica Belluci and Vincent Cassel) in happier times and significantly lightens up. Irreversible is not at all for the squeamish but for those who can stomach it, it's an exhilarating cinematic experience.
Rating:
Summary: AN EXCELLENT MOVIE THAT WILL STAY IN YOUR MIND FOR A LONG TI
Review: I was reading other reviews and nobody seems to mention the huge contrast Gaspar Noé is making between brutality and violence that is out there around us, and beauty and purity of a new life that lies in Monica Bellucci's womb. This movie is absolutely AMAZING and full of meaning if you think about it. Of course there are a lot of people that didn't understand the meaning of the movie, but this movie is not made for somebody who does not understand the art of film making.
Rating:
Summary: I watched this movie and bought it on DVD
Review: Funny enough, I bought this DVD for that scene with Alex and her lover in the bedroom.
It was the sweetest "bedroom" scene I've ever scene. Amazing.
Rating:
Summary: ...
Review: Although it includes a number of scenes that are unpleasant to watch, and arguably unecessary (a couple takes through a gay "nightclub" that's more like a museum dedicated to showing the ways men have sex with eachother, followed by a man having his head graphically bashed in with a fire extinguisher... then a brief break while our guides stop to interrogate a couple transvestites, one of whom displays its privy parts... and then a return to the horror with a 10 minute long rape scene), Irreversible is a worthwhile movie that avoids being completely void of soul as many similar movies are, while maintaining an intelligent perspective on itself, ultimately "good" but not filling (in a way, sort of a parallel to the well made but insipid action movie and the well made but uninspiring drama). The camera work is a bit jarring at first, but eventaully either it becomes steady or I became aclimated to it. It's always very good looking, and the soundtrack is perfect. I found the tone of the movie to be generally unstable, not only do a number of lines in the movie shed doubt upon the nature of events depicted, but the dreamily blissful ending and the fractured dream-like qualities of its structure raise further questions over what the movie is "about" (if it's about anything at all. I left with a bittersweet feeling and many questions, but feeling satisfied. Although the reverse order storytelling is a bit disconcerting at first, Irreversible would be unbearable for all but the most emotionally masochistic viewers (this also sheds light on interesting issues about the way structure affects the perception of a picture). I wish the ending had been a little bit more drawn out, which could have put the movie in a wider perspective and given it greater emotional punch. As it stands, 3 stars mostly because it felt a bit cold and unfulfilling, but still entertained.
Rating:
Summary: a harrowing study in nihilism and hate
Review: aspects of this film are brilliant - the way sound and camera work to produce a churning sense of disorientation really affected me, and i guess that's the point in a world where we can imagine there is little we have not seen. there were parts of this film i could not watch, and the commentary in these reviews about the ability to "handle" the violence is pretty childish - or reflects the same impulse of sadistic machismo that drives the film. my sense was that this was an intensely personal portrait of rage, and it took me places i really did not want to go. the film uses a range of techniques to encode realism, which is not to say that the film is any more real than what hollywood produces. to cite the rape in the film as "realistic" is beside the point - it is graphic and horrifying, which rape is, but within a mediaculture which increasingly eroticises rape it would be a mistake to imagine that this film provides the "authentic" version (and thus some rapes really are erotic). this is a haunting and unpalatable film, and it saddens me that some viewers think their ability to consume this imagery is noble or clever.
Rating:
Summary: Whirlwind of action that shocked my senses. Great film!
Review: When the opening credits came on the screen for this wildly violent 2002 thriller, I though there was something wrong with the disk because some of the letters were backwards. The film is in French and it wasn't until the film actually started and the captions were clear and easy to read that I realized that these reversed letters were just a foreshadowing of what to expect in the film. It was going to start at the end and wind up at the beginning. The writer/director, Gaspar Noe, made his creative choices wisely. The twelve scenes unfold to the viewer with a concept in mind. We first see an exceptionally brutal scene in which two men, Vincent Casel and Albert Dupontel, force their way into a gay sex club in search of one particular man. They are furious and looking for revenge. The camera slides along the darkened walls capturing the steamy atmosphere of casual intimate encounters until the two angry men finally think they've found the person called "La Tenia". What follows is a cruel and bloody bashing in of the victim's skull that is so graphic that it was difficult to watch. As the film continues we learn that La Tenia is the rapist of a woman they both loved. And still later we see the violent assault upon her. Monica Belluci is cast as the woman and she certainly is beautiful. The attack is an awful scene to watch and goes on for a full ten minutes. It was horrible and sadistic and the most violent scene I have ever seen. And then we see the trio in happier times, enjoying themselves at a party. As each scene develops we learn more and more about them as human beings. This is difficult to watch because we all know the aftermath. We also know that there is no going back to happier times. The deeds have been done and there is no way to stop them. It's quite an unsettling feeling, especially in the final frame when there is love and joy and so much hope for the future. This is not a film for everyone. There's incredible cruelty and ugliness. And there are scenes that will make you want to turn your head away. This feeling never lets up. All my senses were shocked in this whirlwind of action. I was horrified and upset and very moved. And I couldn't stop watching. The film is a small work of art and I highly recommend it. However, it is only for the very courageous few. All others stay away.
Rating: 
Summary: this movie is a waste of time
Review: I did not even finish watching this movie it was so bad. I can appreciate a violent, twisted film and enjoy them very much but this movie was horrible. It disturbing and boring at the same time. The rape scene in this film is the worst I have ever seen and was hard not to turn the film off then. I would recommend this movie to noone.
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