The Vault: Irreversible (2002)

"Time destroys all things," and in the case of Monica Bellucci's character Alex in Irreversible there could be no other truth. Probably the most harrowing portrayal of how beauty is destroyed by human depravity.

Gaspar Noe uses some of the most innovative camera techniques to mirror the frenzied state of Alex's boyfriend Marcus (Vincent Cassel) and her former lover Pierre (Albert Dupontel) as they attempt to find the man who raped and beat Alex into a coma. Once finding out La Tenia, the man who raped Alex, is a frequent customer at the local gay bar, not far from the crime scene, things spiral out of control.

Despite Pierre's constant pleas to just let the police handle the matter Marcus barges into the club demanding to know where La Tenia is. After harassing several clubmembers he finally fingers who he thinks is La Tenia and proceeds to smash a bottle against his head. The man is tougher than Marcus though and breaks his arm, once pinned on the ground while trying to rape Marcus, Pierre the moral compass of the film takes a fire extinguisher and beats the man's face until it literally caves in. The police are called and Pierre and Marcus are arrested.

The film is told entirely in reverse and makes the whole ordeal much darker knowing what has happened to Alex. From Marcus and Pierre leaving the party searching for Alex to finding her, stealing a cab driver's taxi to find the club, the party itself where Marcus's partying causes Alex to leave, riding the subway discussing the difference between sex between Pierre and her current love, Alex and Marcus in bed getting ready to go to the party.

The film makes several references to what is about to happen to the couple as Alex notices that he can't feel his arm in bed and Alex reveals her dream about a red tunnel(the very tunnel where the rape takes place). The real gut-punch of the film is watching Alex find out she is pregnant knowing that she will inevitably lose the child.

Those with a queasy stomach regarding violence and rape should probably fast forward through the scenes because they really are quite brutal. Never in a film before has such thought-out real-life ramifications of vigilantism, violence and murder been explored.

The Best of the Decade

Over the last ten years, the cinema has given us a great deal to be thankful for: a rebirth of the Batman franchise, a series of examinations of what it means to live in this particular decade, and a mass of character studies whether they be animated or popcorn thrillers. As much as I have enjoyed the offerings, a list must be culled together for the end of the year. Except this year is different, this year ten films must be selected from hundreds. Below are some of the best of the aughts. Enjoy! 10) There Will Be Blood Paul Thomas Anderson's magnum opus, a scathing look at extremism in America and the evils of greed and profiteering from religion. It also features the best performance of the decade with Daniel Day-Lewis as oil-man Daniel Plainview. 9) Up A beautiful tale that entrances all ages, Up managed to captivate children and tell a tale that adults cherish as well. 8) The Dark Knight Maybe just a comic book film, but it is the best comic book film

Paprika vs. Inception

Months before Inception hit the theaters forums were alive with rumors that Christopher Nolan either accidentally or intentionally stole some details from another film, the Japanese anime Paprika. The biggest point of comparison for some bloggers and forum runners was the fact that both of the films featured a device that allowed a person, or people, to travel into another’s dreams and delve into their subconscious. Minor points of comparison include scenes in Paprika where the character Paprika breaks through a mirrored wall by holding her hand to it, as well as a scene where a police detective falls his way down a hallway. Claims have been made that Inception abounds with imagery similar to or exactly like the anime movie, but with the recent release of the film on DVD and Blu-Ray, and with Paprika available for several years now, an examination of the two plots can be made more fully. Let us begin with the primary claim— Inception stole the idea of a dream

Armond White's Top Ten Films on Flickchart

Armond White is film criticism’s most famous contrarian. At one moment he writes a review declaring Toy Story 3 to be the most obscene excuse for toy commercials he has ever watched, and then two weeks later types out a glowing review of Resident Evil: Afterlife . He is of split-mind for sure. But what does his Flickchart look like? Read the rest at Flickchart !

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