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I picked up this movie from the friendly local DVD shop. Frankly speaking, I've never heard of this movie before. It's hard to find a good stash of foreign movie in Malaysia, almost 80% is Hollywood based, the other 15% is Hongkong based. Actually I was looking for some horror flicks... perhaps one of those eerie asian horror flicks, but i couldnt find any in that shop.
Instead i stumbled into two foreign films, French Irreversible and Brazilian City of God. Without knowing it both are in my collection now.
Irreversible was directed by Gaspar Noe. He chopped the film scenes in chunks (chapters in DVD lingo), not quite Pulp Fiction but more like Memento. Shot in a reverse chronological manner, the film takes you on a journey, like reading an hourly posted blog top down. However Noe played too much with the camera. The transition sequence between the scene was like spiralling and roller-costering the camera. Freaking 20 minutes of the film is wasted on spinning!
The main characters in the movie were played by Vicent Cassel (Crimson Rivers) and Italian bomb shell Monica Bellucci (Tears of the Sun, Malena, Matrix Reloaded). Prior to Irreversible, both of them have acted in a few movies together namely, Brotherhood of the wolves, Méditerranées, Compromis, L'appartement among others. Both of them will be featured again side by side in an up coming movie Agents Secrets.
The story tells about a man (Cassel) with his buddy (who is also his girlfriend's ex) going around Paris night scene, in search of a pimp called "the tapeworm". Why were they looking for "the tapeworm"? - the bad ass pimp raped his girlfriend, that's why.
The verdict:
The multiple award nominated film had a good storyline, the reverse chronological scene is somewhat different and the acting is brilliant. Nice rendition of Beethoven 7th at the end too.
However, there are some reservations (not that i mind):
A few shocking violent and sexual scenes: the fight in the gay club which end up in a broken arm and a nice face job, the 10 minute rape & assult scene.
A lot of french profanities, and like all french movies we can see the french giving it to the immigrants.
It is almost soft porn: you get to see cassel and bellucci in their birthday suit.
Of course, it's french. what else could you expect?
The only thing i hate about the movie is the spinning scene transition. There were reports of people walking out and puking from the film screening at Cannes. I believe it is because of the bloody spinning transition rather than the violence and sex.
Bottomline: Minus the spinning thinggy i'd give the film a good 3.5 star. Not your Primetime Family movie though.
Somewhat unrelated: This happens only in France
yeah my friend told me about this movie, i have to get it off him!
Posted by: Sharizal Shaarani | Tuesday, October 21, 2003 at 13:46
3.5 stars out of... er...what's the maximum?
Posted by: viewtru | Wednesday, October 22, 2003 at 13:38
Sorry matey mate...3.5 out of 5 stars :)
Posted by: KaZ | Wednesday, October 22, 2003 at 15:15
memento is my all time favorite movie!
Posted by: phyruzze | Wednesday, October 22, 2003 at 16:28
Cassel and Belluci, good for a kickstart.
Posted by: vlad | Thursday, October 23, 2003 at 09:25
Vlad, put Bellucci with anybody, it'll be a kickstart! :p
Somehow rather Cassel reminds me of that guy from Coldplay... they're not brothers are they?
Posted by: KaZ | Thursday, October 23, 2003 at 09:57
I like to think not. A little resemblance maybe.
Read from a another review [ruthlessreviews], this is sort of a homophobic French soft porn. But I am anticipated to see brutal fire extinguisher beat up, it was said to be so real. Not to mention that the "are you wet or is it blood?" anal rape scene which was reviewed to be too long and boring. But yeah Bellucci kickstart it all
Posted by: vlad | Saturday, October 25, 2003 at 16:19
that belluci,... she is...(arrghhh)...
now that you told me about this movie, I must get it
no mattter what.....
Posted by: fooji | Saturday, November 01, 2003 at 15:41
I wish there were less camera swings tho. Was a bit dizzy after the movie.
Posted by: mdmafia | Thursday, June 10, 2004 at 17:04
the guy taht was killed with the extinguisher, was him really tapeworm? He seems a different guy.
Posted by: soulfly | Tuesday, August 03, 2004 at 15:26
the guy taht was killed with the extinguisher, was him really tapeworm? He seems a different guy.
Posted by: soulfly | Tuesday, August 03, 2004 at 15:27
Looks like him to me, either that or I didn't really care because the scene was too orgasmic (the beating of course)
Posted by: vlad | Tuesday, August 03, 2004 at 17:22