Irreversible (2002)

Events over the course of one traumatic night in Paris unfold in reverse-chronological order as the beautiful Alex is brutally raped and beaten by a stranger in the underpass.

Director:

Gaspar Noé

Writer:

Gaspar Noé

Stars:

Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel

3 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Monica Bellucci	...	Alex (as Bellucci)
Vincent Cassel	...	Marcus (as Cassel)
Albert Dupontel	...	Pierre (as Dupontel)
Jo Prestia	...	Le Tenia (as Prestia)
Philippe Nahon	...	L'homme (as Nahon)
Stéphane Drouot	...	Stéphane (as Drouot)
Jean-Louis Costes	...	Fistman (as Costes)
Mick Gondouin	...	Mick (as Gondouin)
Mourad Khima	...	Mourad (as Khima)
Hellal	...	Layde
Nato	...	Commissaire
Fesche	...	Chauffeur Taxi
Jara-Millo	...	Concha (as Jaramillo)
Le Quellec	...	Inspecteur
Isabelle Giami	...	Copine d'Alex enceinte (as Giami)

Storyline

Events over the course of one traumatic night in Paris unfold in reverse-chronological order as the beautiful Alex is brutally raped and beaten by a stranger in the underpass. Her boyfriend and ex-lover take matters into their own hands by hiring two criminals to help them find the rapist so that they can exact revenge. A simultaneously beautiful and terrible examination of the destructive nature of cause and effect, and how time destroys everything.

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Plot Keywords:

revenge | sexual violence | unsimulated sex | rape | vengeance | 

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Taglines:

Time destroys everything

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was shot in chronological order, with the exception of the end scene -- in other words, the opposite way the film plays out.

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Goofs

When Alex is in the bed with her boyfriend and they get up to dance, the whole film crew is mirrored on the glass of the window.

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Quotes

[to Alex, just before she is raped in the underpass]
Woman on Street: Take the underpass. It's safer.

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Crazy Credits

The capital letter "E" is written backwards in the credits.

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Alternate Versions

The Hong Kong version is cut (despite being given a Category III rating, meaning under 18s are prohibited from watching this film) for nudity and sexual violence. Most genitalia is blurred or pixelated except for the digital penis. Alex's rape is butchered by 5 mins.

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Connections

Referenced in Trance (2013)

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Soundtracks

La Queuleuleu
Written by Guy Lux (as G. Lux) and Gérard Tempesti (as G. Tempesti)
Performed by André Bézu (as Bézu)
Editions Master Music / Fil Rouge

User Reviews

A sad, depressing movie.

A lot has been said about this movie. Yes, there are a couple of brutal and violent scenes. It's even hard to watch at times, but Irreversible is much more than that.

I personally think that the acting is great. There's a natural chemistry between the 3 main characters. Monica Bellucci does a wonderful job as Alex. I give her a lot credit for being involved in such difficult role.

I really like the way the story was told. Some people say that it's a rip off of Memento, and that it doesn't work well in this movie, but I have to disagree. The movie "starts" in a dark way, with a lot of graphic images and violence. But at the end there's this kind of peace, a little dose of happiness..."the calm before the storm". It works really well, and that's what make this a really sad story.

I really recommend this film. But like I said before, it can be hard to watch. Just watch it with an open mind and give it a try.

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Spanish Italian English

Release Date:

24 May 2002 (France)

Also Known As:

Irreversible

Filming Locations:

Buttes Chaumont, Paris 19, Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$60,086, 9 March 2003

Gross USA:

$792,200

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,479,328

Company Credits

Production Co:

120 Films, Canal+, Eskwad

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 99 min 86 min (Inversion intégrale)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1