4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unflinchingly honest, October 14, 2005
This review is from: Irreversible / Neobratimost' (DVD)
Let me start by saying that this is not a film that will appeal to mainstream American audiences.
The first thing that we should note is this was shot with a rare type of film reel(I'm not in the business, so the name escapes me, but I think it was 16mm) that only allows 20 minutes of consecutive filming before they have to quit and re-load. For this reason, most of the scenes were shot with one take, and most of the dialog was improv(a la "Curb"). If you watch this movie, that is something to keep in mind.
Something else should also be noted. Gaspar Noe is the director of all scenes except one: The Tunnel Scene. As stated above, they had a 20 minute time limit to shoot that scene, and Noe allowed actress Monica Bellucci to direct the whole thing. So while she was the victim in the scene, she was in complete control the whole time.
On to the film content. It is a day in the life of a middle class, young French couple...told backwards, a la "Memento". So the audience sees the horrible end to the day first. All you know at that point is that two normal, and assumably straight guys are looking for a man called "La Tapia"(The Tapeworm) in an incredibly seedy gay sex club called "The Rectum". Their search ends when one of them bashes in the head of a man they think is "La Tapia". This scene is very up close and graphic, as we see this man's head slowly disintegrate under the blows of a big fire extinguisher. Then we flash back to a series of scenes where we learn that these two guys are normal guys, who really aren't that street smart. They're on a mission that we don't about yet and are getting help from some mafia-type street thugs, and a tip from a street prostitute is what led them to the club after "La Tapia". Then we flash back to a party where these two guys are having varying degrees of fun, and one of them fights with his girlfriend(Bellucci), and she decides to go home by herself. She starts to try to find a cab or bus or something, but another woman outside tells her to take the tunnel because it's safer. That's when we see a very graphic depiction of a most heinous violation of the human body that seems to go on forever, with the perpetrator commentating(taunting) the whole time. Another reviewer said people walked out of the theater he saw it at. I can understand that as this is not the normal Hollywood depiction of this act. This scene could not be shot as it is here and get even an NC-17 rating from the MPAA.
The rest of the movie shows the life these three lead, and the hope that pervades their lives and relationships. What this film makes the viewers feel will be different for everyone, I beleive. I felt a profound sense of sadness at the end, seeing the couple as they lived and went about their life as a happy couple, knowing that it would turn out to be the worst day of their lives. The two romantic leads were together in real life at the time this movie was filmed, and it shows in their apartment scene together.
This film was mentioned to me as something that would shock and disgust me. But at the end of the movie, I felt neither shock nor disgust. Like I said above, I felt sad for the characters. This movie was much better than I thought it would be. I recommend it to adults who think they might like the story, or who're deadened to main stream Hollywood fare and want something different.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Movie, But Beware: Some Scenes May Make you Walk Out, June 21, 2005
This review is from: Irreversible / Neobratimost' (DVD)
I had just gotten into foreign films when i first saw this movie in a small theatre in The U-District, and at the 2 or 3 main (Intense) scenes, at least 2 people walked out at each one. Never has a movie affected me like that. I watched in awe at what was happening and although some scenes were brutal, The movie captured something that is often unseen and untalked about in civilized conversation. The question it answers is "What Would you do if someone you love was brutally assualted?". The movie starts out nauseating with its spinning picture for the first five minutes, but i applaude there realistic adaptions of events that took place and playing a movie backwards is a new twist that seemed to work on this film, keeping you wondering what is going on throughout the movie. Its not for everyone, but a must see if you like creativity and originality. My Collector's edition came with a strip of negative film which was cool.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
