Irreversible (2002)

This film is the reason I joined Love Film in the first place, so it seems appropriate that it's the first review. Due to its rather... controversial nature, no one I knew had this on DVD, and asking people if they'd seen it began to seem overly-personal. No DVD shops seemed to stock it, and even Amazon failed me. Apparently Love Film doesn't have it either - that or they just didn't want to lend it to me.

As far as I was aware though, this was a key film for me to watch, given my rather odd taste in cinema. With ridiculously strong violence, a lengthy rape scene, and a camera that never keeps still I knew its reputation and was prepared (when I finally got hold of a copy) for a difficult couple of hours.

I was not prepared however, to feel bored. In the first quarter of an hour or so nothing happens. A man (Vincent Cassel) runs round a club looking for a man, with whom apparently he has a problem. The camera’s swirly and the music’s loud which gives a good atmosphere, but that’s only exciting for so long.

The film plays out, with the beginning of the film showing the end-point in the story. We discover the motivation behind the characters’ actions as we go along. The acting is great, and it’s definitely a good plot. Why, then, did I feel something was lacking?

Maybe it’s because it had such a build-up. I expected great things from a film I had heard about from several people as a film I ‘definitely had to watch’. Maybe it’s because of the extended ‘have you seen this man’ scene at the beginning. Maybe it’s because I felt the length of the rape scene actually detracted from its impact, rather than amplified it – the feeling of shock does wear off after a couple of minutes.

I did enjoy the film (if enjoy is the right word), but I was disappointed. I do agree though, it was a film I definitely had to watch.

2.5 Stars.