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Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
Brand: Lions Gate
EAN: 9781589713413
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 1589713419
Item Dimensions: 500
Label: Lions Gate
Languages: EnglishOriginal LanguageFrenchOriginal LanguageItalianOriginal LanguageSpanishOriginal LanguageEnglishSubtitledSpanishSubtitled
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
MPN: DST8159D
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Lions Gate
Region Code: 1
Release Date: August 05, 2003
Running Time: 97 minutes
Studio: Lions Gate
Theatrical Release Date: 2002
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
IRREVERSIBLE (DVD MOVIE)
Amazon.com:
Irreversible begins with the closing credits running backwards before the film begins (or ends) with Marcus (Vincent Cassell) and Pierre (Albert Dupontel) being escorted out of a gay S&M club by the cops, Marcus with his arm broken and Pierre in handcuffs. The "story" proceeds to unwind in a series of single-take scenes that unfold Memento-style, with each scene giving more context to what we have seen previously. Each scenario depicts actions, dialogue, incident, behavior, and circumstances that the lead characters might have wished didn't happen, ranging from extreme violence through awkward social situations to mild embarrassment. The central character (and possible dreamer of this whole what-if story) emerges as Alex (Monica Bellucci), who suffers the worst in a very hard-to-watch rape sequence in an underpass. Semi-improvised, the scenes all have attack and power as themes, with later/earlier conversational sequences that suggest life isn't all sexual assaults in the dark, showing equal cinematic imagination with the horrors. Arguably, this is not a film most would subject themselves to twice, but it is something that stays in the mind for days after viewing, sparking far more ideas and emotions than most wallow-in-nastiness pictures. --Kim Newman
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
This absolutely gut-wrenching movie has a happy ending--but only because it's told backwards! In the early 2000s, the French seem to have a lockdown on excellent but unbearable films about how terrible people can be (others include "Them," "Calvaire: The Ordeal," and "Frontier(s)").
Rating:  -
LET ME SAY THIS UP FRONT - if you are the type of person who is squeamish or easily offended by material in film then you may want to avoid this movie.
With that said, I have to confess that the first time I watched this movie was about 5 years ago. I went into the movie "UNKNOWING" about what was to occur. At that time I had recently just become an admirer of MONICA BELLUCCI and VINCENT CASSEL. So as you can imagine I was "Offended" at the controversial scene. (Keep in mind, at the time I had heard nothing about this movie so I didn't know that scene was coming.)
It took me 5 years to get up the courage to watch the movie again. Why did I watch the movie again? The answer is simple; I gained a whole new appreciation for foreign films, foreign actors, as well as underrated cinematography. Plus I have met just too many people who talk about "freedom of expression" through Music & Movies, YET those same people will be the FIRST to oppose sexual content in a movie.
I think movies like this film, KIDS, LUST CAUTION, BROKE BACK MOUNTAIN, and other films with "Controversial" material should always be seen. But most people don't watch movies to "Appreciate" them. Unfortunately they watch movies to take their mind away from the daily B.S. of life. So instead people usually watched dumbed-down flicks like DUDE WHERE'S MY CAR just to pass the time and thus they don't have to THINK.
Either way, I found this movie to be entertaining. But it is interesting for only 1 viewing. I tried to find value in the cinema techniques and of course it was nice seeing how real life husband and wife Monica Belluci and Vincent Cassel continue to make movies together.
Is this a good family film to watch during Thanksgiving Dinner? ABSOLUTELY NOT. HECK NO!
Is this a decent movie worth watching during Valentines Day with your boyfriend/girlfriend? PROBABLY NOT (Trust me on that)
Is it worth checking out due to it's controversy & having a place in cinematic history? YES - But be warned that if you can't handle the dark side of the most devious parts of human behavior then you will be greatly offended and disturbed.
(For Open Minded Audiences ONLY)
Rating:  -
....if it weren't for the fact that you don't care a thing about any of the characters. All three are lifeless and 1 dimensional. There's your steretypical animal like character, your stereotypical character that overthinks things, and a female who represents a balance of the two.
If the movie had started from the end and gone back to the beginning, then you would see it as a rape revenge piece. But the way the movie was shot you're thrown right into the action, great. But there's a lot of confusing dialogue throwing you off as to what's going on. The depiction of homosexuals in these scenes is that they're just a bunch of perverted monkeys looking to hump each other at all times. Then as you go back through the story, the action is less and less until finally there are entire scenes of filler between the three characters.
I was looking forward to a good artistic piece, and so many people had raved about it, I thought I'd try. Then again, some people get excited by watching some really brutal scenes of rape and murder. (The rape scene is over 10 minutes long, and the murder scene is a painful 2 minutes.) These scenes are shocking, make no mistake. But the film just seems to fall flat, and so do the characters.
Rating:  -
A complete waste of time. The direction was poorly different and the violence and obscenities were totally unnecessary. Made me sick literally. I don't know who would find this movie worthwhile. Even my poor review here is better than the movie!
Rating:  -
Remember watching the imfamous flogging scene and thinking: "Hmm, this couldv'e been about seven minutes shorter."? That pretty much applies here. Granted, I understand and even applaud Gaspar's decision to expose the ugliness of rape and revenge, but there is a such thing as overstating your case. Make no mistake, this is not PORN. Alex doesn't resist her attacker in the beginning, only to change her mind the middle, and then have a screeching orgasm at the end. No, this is more like OZ. It's brutal, animal and sadistic.
In fact, this movie's first act is so jarring with it's graphic (and in most cases DEVIANT) depictions of sex and violence, it can leave you with a dizzying sense of vertigo. I think that was the idea behind the spinning camera at the beginning; which is another technique that was overdone. I think this was to prepare you for the goings-on in the Rectum nightclub. As if the name itself wasn't an indication!
Now for me, the saving grace of this film is the second half. It's just...wonderfully done. I'm sure by now you've read the many reviews that tells you the film is being shown in reverse order. With that in mind, you have this image of such horrible violence, and yet it's tempered by these three characters that jump out at you. They're not the victims or beserkers that you see at the film's opening. They're just regular thirty-something people out having a night on the town. As the film draws you closer to the end (well, beginning), you almost ALMOST forget what's about to happen.
I was very impressed by the format and storytelling here, and that's the main reason I gave it four stars. I've never seen this done before, and was surprised at how well it worked. I don't think this was an exploitation peice (although it really did straddle the fence there). I think it was just three good people that suffered a horrible misfortune and reacted to it in a very believable way. I think it's important enough for a single viewing, but I wouldn't recommend it for your collection. It's REALLY brutal. Enjoy and Be warned.
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