(2002) **** ½
The boyfriend and ex-boyfriend of a rape victim seek revenge against her attacker.
I read that this was the most walked out of film of 2002. I had also heard that the first fifteen minutes of this film are insane. Considering the plot, that it’s a French, and had a high walkout rate, I assumed the opening was a blood bath. I was wrong. Not about it’s level of craziness, it is nuts, but about the blood. The camera moves up and down and spins around like nothing I’ve ever seen. I’ve never been bothered by camera movement, but I almost lost my dinner watching this. I actually had to cover my eyes a few times. Luckily, this doesn’t last through the entire film, and as sick as it almost made me, I wouldn’t change a thing because it is well suited for the urgency and angst of the characters’ situation.
Why four and a half stars? It’s well structured and extremely effective. I have a feeling this film is going to sit with me for some time. The rape scene is long and awful. It reminds you what a horrific act rape is. I’m still sick over it. The film tells the story in reverse order. Recounting it in this way made what happen seem all the more worse. I kept finding myself wanting the characters to behave differently, to make different choices so the outcome would be different, but I already saw it, it already happened, like the title states, it’s irreversible.
There are discussions on French horror sites as to whether this film should be classified as horror. I agree that it is difficult to say for sure if it fits in this genre, but like everyone else I do feel this movie is horrifying, and its impact lasting. It’s inspired me to sign up for self-defense courses.
