Irreversible

Rating:
Summary: PLEASE DON'T READ THIS UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN THE MOVIE!!
Review: ***SPOILER ALERT***

I keep reading reviews stating that the assailant was brutally murdered by Pierre in the revenge scene. If you didn't catch the very last shot of the true rapist, staring bewilderedly at Pierre, then you haven't gotten the full message of the film. The rapist did NOT die at the end of the film (although, I'll admit, the poor sob that lost his face DID look a whole lot like the tenia...). I didn't catch this the first time around, but after I finished it, I went back to that scene and watched closely. He's even wearing the same necklace. My guess is that the tenia was in that back room that those two thugs were standing in front of (guarding?). During all of the commotion, he must have come out to witness the murder, realizing that it was meant for him. That look in the last take of the scene says it all...you can even see a smile creeping into that look of disbelief. Obviously, this makes the overall message far bleaker than if he had truly had his face beaten in (which he most definately deserved). Knowing that the most despised character in the movie is the only one that truly comes out unscathed...THAT is what makes this movie so disturbing. I read reviews saying that the rape and the murder scenes haunt them for days after seeing the film...but seeing that filthy rapist smile, knowing he's getting away with it...that's something i won't be forgetting any time soon.



Rating:
Summary: jesus henry christ!
Review: the beginning(or the end)is as violent as any scene in saving private ryan.man,thats one club no human should ever be caught in.this is the simple yet ultra twisted story of a night out among friends.only this night is told in reverse-the payoff happening almost immediately and then allowing the viewers to recover from the 1st twenty minutes.its incredible to see how an ordinary day ends in the pit of hell.the bulk of the plot is a boyfriend trying to locate his missing girlfriend(theres more to it but i dont want to be the one to spoil it for you).hes accompanied by his best friend.as i stated before,this is told in reverse(and very well told at that)and you know how it all ends.even though the end is the beginning and most of the shock and awe happens within those 20 minutes,theres still moments that should be viewed and not explained(that much publicized rape scene).this is a rare movie where the hype of this movie is pretty much accurate.everything youve either heard or read about is true.this is not for the faint of heart,definitely not for the kids and one shouldnt be on any form of medication.the price is right,the movie is good,what more could you want?

Rating:
Summary: Irreversible: Reverse Right Out Of The Store Now!
Review: Definitely DO NOT buy this DVD! It's total CRAP! ( RUBBISH ).
The whole story goes backwards from the beginning of the DVD. ie: It opens at the "Ending" of the story and as the DVD progresses forward normally, the scenes go backwards!! There is a horrific, graphic 20 minute rape scene in the story, where a very beautiful young woman is raped ( doggy style ) in the subway. It's quite violent too! Give it a miss! A Sick French Film!

Rating:
Summary: One of the Gruesomest Scenes of All time!
Review: Not bad at all.

Though, it was a bit overdramatized at parts, and the camera work was so pretentious at parts, it made me want to puke.

Everything else about this film is great.

There is one infamous scene where a dude gets his skull crushed in with a fire extinguisher, that just had me cringing...and I have a STRONG tummy (I've won several hot pepper eating contests).

This film proudly shines in all of its brutality, and still has the charm to make it a notch above the immitators.

Great acting, script...get the gist from other reviewers, just wanted to add my two cents.

Rating:
Summary: Homebrewer
Review: I've read the comments here and am strangely encouraged by the fact that so many intelligent opinions can be so completely polarized. It shows me that film still has the power to enthrall.....and infuriate.....cinephiles around the world.

Personally I loved this film....if you can use "love" to describe a movie that battered me, sickened me, mesmerized me, drained me and left me feeling as if I had been kicked in the gut.

The theme of "time destroys everything" is not new in the world of art. It is a concept that becomes frighteningly real to us as we get older. In this film, Gasper Noe shows us the tragic outcome of a series of events before allowing us to view these events in reverse chronological order. By doing so he has given us a god's eye view over the lives of the main characters. This gives the subsequent scenes an ever deepening sense of irony and despair, more than a conventional storyline could ever hope to achieve. It also gives the audience a deep sense of personal despair...for even though we know what's going to happen, we remain powerless to intervene. Time destroys everything, and it is unstoppable.

Much has been said regarding the explicit sex and violence as well as the spinning camerawork at the film's beginning. There is no gratuitous exploitation here...what we are forced to witness is raw, realistic and merciless. We may long to run away from the horror and pretend it isn't there, much like the faceless witness in the tunnel (a brilliant device), but when we open our eyes it is still there. In a genre where sex and violence have become commonplace these scenes will shake-up all but the most jaded moviegoer.

The camerawork was also essential for it expertly mirrors the turmoil of the characters. As the film opens all is chaos...emotions are past the breaking point and mindless brutality rules the mind. The camera swoops and spins, rolls and ducks, it is completely unbalanced and out of control....a sign of intense control on behalf of the director. The lighting is dark, the colours lurid. Compare this to the long, sunny takes towards the end of the film (and the beginning of the story).

This is not a simple story told backwards...rather, it is a meditation on fate, destiny, and free will. Is our future already written? Are our actions pre-determined?

"Irreversible" is a cinematic Memento Mori that I look forward to seeing again and again. 10/10 (or for amazon's sake 5/5).



Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece
Review: Yes, that's my honest opinion.

First, I thought, This guy doesn't know how to make a movie. (I had never seen a movie by director Noe.) Then I realized it was running from end to beginning.

After that, there was the killing scene. But first, Marcus had his arm broken. That was obviously a prop and the break looked too easy. A downer. If you want to be violent, do it more realistically. Ooops! The the killing scene with a fire extinguisher. Well, two blows were enough, I thought. Six? Okay. Sounds good. TWENTY-THREE? That was too much. I was mesmerized, because there must have been a good reason.

Then, the ultra-long rape scene. I was nauseated. To tell you the truth, I am an advocate of the death penalty for rapists and this film confirmed my feelings.

Monica Bellucci is one incredible actress to put that performance the way she did. I do not believe there are many ladies who can do that type of scene. She is fantastic. Not to mention the difficulty of the whole episode. It was incredible.

After the end of this movie, I had ro recognize mastery in director Gaspar Noe and admire this film.

Rating:
Summary: What else?
Review: I love movies. Believe me.
And I'm not the type "love story & happy ending" reviewer.
I heard this movie was very raw, violent and a lot of things. And it is. But the story is poor, very poor. There's a very good performance -the main man- and nothing else.
The director seems to be a "marketing oriented one": all the time the images on the screen seems shout: look how bad is the human nature, look the limits, look this violence, look how raw is this movie, guau...more violence. If you really want a disturbed movie BUT with a story, a truly director behind and without all this talent-less images, look for "Requiem for a dream": this is a movie, not like this garbage.
Forget about it.