Irréversible: Straight Cut is without a doubt one of the most difficult movies I’ve had to watch, and that isn’t because of the subject matter. I have a headache after watching it for a number of reasons I’ll expand upon in this review. There are two reviews being published for this version of the film, one from someone one who hasn’t seen the original, that’s me. And one from the perspective of somebody who has. That review, written by Joshua Ryan, can be read here.
The original version, released in 2002, was told in reverse chronological order, similar to Christopher Nolan’s Memento. Being the one who hasn’t, I can honestly say I have no desire to watch this or any other version ever again. It has a miserable ending with no justice being given to Monica Bellucci’s character, Alex, after she is raped after attending a party.
Irréversible: Straight Cut Review
The film focuses on three main characters: Alex (Bellucci), Marcus (Vincent Cassel), and Pierre (Albert Dupontel). Alex and Pierre used to date, while Alex and Marcus are currently in a relationship. They all hangout together still, so already they have a weird relationship between the three of them. It could be a cultural thing since it takes place in France, but it’s still bizarre either way. They end up going to a party together where Marcus gets drunk/high and into an argument with Alex, resulting in her leaving the party alone. This leads to her getting brutally raped and sends Marcus and Pierre on a revenge mission to find the man who raped her.
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Monica Bellucci is the only highlight of this miserable film and she’s only in two-thirds of it. Alex completely disappears after she is raped and we get no follow up to find out if she is okay. Also, the rape scene itself is brutal and very difficult to watch; it’s not like anything I’ve seen before, so it you think you’re prepared for it, you probably aren’t. The scene goes on for much longer than I felt it needed to and ended up being incredibly violent, which makes me question the intent behind Gaspar Noé’s writing and directing.
Marcus and Pierre are two unlikable men as well, with Marcus being the worst of the two of them. He’s in a relationship with a gorgeous woman and still feels the need to go around making out with other women at the party. Pierre is unlikable for other reasons; he has no real personality and doesn’t exhibit any reason for Alex to have been with him in the first place. Cassel and Dupontel do the best with what they’re given, but it doesn’t amount to much for their characters by the time the credits roll.
Now, for the thing about this film that gave me my headache by the end: the editing and cinematography. The camera work was shaky throughout the film, going for a single-shot style at times but missing the mark. Every single transition from scene to scene was a spinning shot pointed upwards that made me feel dizzy and uneasy by the end. On top of that, the credits were unreadable and flashing constantly, which didn’t help at all with trying to understand the French names of the actors and actresses.
Overall, I would recommend avoiding Irréversible: Straight Cut at all costs. Maybe the story works better in the reverse chronological version, but this has put me off to it entirely. Bellucci and Cassel have much better films that you can watch if you are a fan of their work, so I would encourage you to seek them out. Irréversible: Straight Cut is an experience I hope to forget and one that I hope you never have to experience for yourself.
Rating: 1/10
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