Irreversible (2002)
Coming Out at 24 May 2002 in theaters.
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Irréversible is a French experimental psychological thriller drama film, written and directed by Gaspar Noé and starring Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, and Albert Dupontel. The film employs a reverse chronology and follows two men through the streets of Paris as they seek to avenge a brutally raped girlfriend. Much of the film’s soundtrack was composed by Thomas Bangalter, one half of the electronic music duo Daft Punk.
Irréversible competed at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and won the Stockholm International Film Festival’s award for best film.
Irréversible has been associated with a series of films defined as the cinéma du corps (“cinema of the body”), which according to Palmer share affinities with certain avant-garde productions: an attenuated use of narrative, assaulting and often illegible cinematography, confrontational subject material, and a pervasive sense of social nihilism or despair. Irréversible has also been associated with the New French Extremity movement.
An Italian woman living in France named Alex (Monica Bellucci) is reading An Experiment with Time by J. W. Dunne in a park, surrounded by playing children. Beethoven’s 7th Symphony is heard in the background. The camera spins around faster and faster until it blacks out into a strobe effect, accompanied by a pulsing, roaring sound. A rapidly spinning image of a lawn sprinkler resembling the cosmos can be dimly perceived. A title card reads: “Le Temps Detruit Tout” (“Time destroys everything”) – a phrase uttered in the film’s first scene. The film ends.
Director: Gaspar Noé
Writer: Gaspar Noé
Stars: Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel, Jo Prestia, Philippe Nahon, Stéphane Drouot
| Monica Bellucci | … | Alex |
| Vincent Cassel | … | Marcus |
| Albert Dupontel | … | Pierre |
| Jo Prestia | … | Le Tenia |
| Philippe Nahon | … | L’homme |
| Stéphane Drouot | … | Stéphane |
| Jean-Louis Costes | … | Fistman |
| Mick Gondouin | … | Mick |
| Mourad Khima | … | Mourad |
| Hellal | … | Layde |
| Nato | … | Commissaire |
| Fesche | … | Chauffeur Taxi |
| Jara-Millo | … | Concha |
| Le Quellec | … | Inspecteur |
| Isabelle Giami | … | Copine d’Alex enceinte |
| Fatima Adoum | … | Fatima |
| Foulaux | … | Janice |
| Stéphane Derdérian | … | Client du Rectum |
| Christophe Lemaire | … | Le danseur avec la chemise hawaïenne |
| Eric Moreau | … | Extra |
| Gaspar Noé | … | Client du Rectum |
| Titof | … | Le mec sur le lit à la fête |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia