Will Ebert hate "Irréversible"?
03-06-03 | 05:33 AM
#1
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DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Will Ebert hate "Irréversible"?
I saw Gaspar Noés shattering and brilliant film Irréversible last September at a film festival in Helsinki, Finland. Ever since I've been thinking about the eventual storm it's going to raise up when it's released theatrically in different countries of the world.
Now that the film will be getting a release by Lions Gate in a few (two?) U.S. cities on Friday, I started thinking about what Roger Ebert will think of it, mainly because of his varying takes on "extreme cinema". He disliked Fight Club (initially, at least) due in large part to its violent content, yet he has praised films by Larry Clark, Catherine Breillat and Kim Ki-duk. So we can't rule out the possibility that he will also like Irréversible.
What do you think? Personally, I predict he will give the film 3˝ stars and explain himself with the "it's not pretty but it's brave" and "I did not enjoy it, but I admired it" lines.
Now that the film will be getting a release by Lions Gate in a few (two?) U.S. cities on Friday, I started thinking about what Roger Ebert will think of it, mainly because of his varying takes on "extreme cinema". He disliked Fight Club (initially, at least) due in large part to its violent content, yet he has praised films by Larry Clark, Catherine Breillat and Kim Ki-duk. So we can't rule out the possibility that he will also like Irréversible.
What do you think? Personally, I predict he will give the film 3˝ stars and explain himself with the "it's not pretty but it's brave" and "I did not enjoy it, but I admired it" lines.
Last edited by Tyler_Durden; 03-06-03 at 05:35 AM.
03-09-03 | 10:16 AM
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I have not seen the movie. But based on the reviews of Irreversible that Ive read and Eberts writings, I predict a max of 2 stars---I envision he will be put-off by the graphic violence.
03-14-03 | 07:21 AM
#8
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Well, the suspense is over, heh. Ebert gives Irreversible three stars and a recommendation.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/ebert...ersible14.html
Although the review itself is surprisingly bland and chock full of spoilers, in fact illustrating the whole film. This isn't necessarily bad since the film itself isn't interested in any kind of immediate suspense. But he makes a terrible mistake in his summary:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/ebert...ersible14.html
Although the review itself is surprisingly bland and chock full of spoilers, in fact illustrating the whole film. This isn't necessarily bad since the film itself isn't interested in any kind of immediate suspense. But he makes a terrible mistake in his summary:
Spoiler:
03-14-03 | 09:40 PM
#9
DVD Talk Legend
I just saw the film, and while the 2 scenes were very disturbing
the film ended tremedoudly, I really liked the chemistry between Monica and Vince, who are/were married at the time of filming.
It is hard to watch the violence, and I would think that many people will leave, I think one person left and threw up as that person was gone for several minutes and returned.
Still not sure what my overall opinion of the film is, I will have to allow it to sink in some more.
the film ended tremedoudly, I really liked the chemistry between Monica and Vince, who are/were married at the time of filming.
It is hard to watch the violence, and I would think that many people will leave, I think one person left and threw up as that person was gone for several minutes and returned.
Still not sure what my overall opinion of the film is, I will have to allow it to sink in some more.
03-15-03 | 05:41 AM
#10
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DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Nice to see he enjoyed it. I felt his dissection of the implications of the reverse chronology was right on target. I also got the feeling that Ebert held back on the praise because the film "isn't for everyone". Sometimes I think critics should remember that their star ratings shouldn't be recommendations but merely reflections of their personal reaction.
03-17-03 | 02:52 AM
#11
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Originally posted by sundog
But he makes a terrible mistake in his summary:
But he makes a terrible mistake in his summary:
Spoiler:
And, did Ebert correct himself? Because I just read his review and it says:
Spoiler:
Last edited by MrN; 03-17-03 at 03:06 AM.
03-17-03 | 07:38 AM
#12
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
I wouldn't doubt that it may have been corrected by Ebert. I wish I had picked up that Friday's SunTimes in print to be sure (since that can't be re-edited after publication). I hope I didn't misread the review, because I was particularly incensed at this supposed error. I've found numerous errors in Ebert's plot summaries for pretty much every review of his I've read in the past few months. This was just the culmination of the pointless aggravation.
Oh well, now my earlier post makes no sense, but thanks for the correction MrN.
Oh well, now my earlier post makes no sense, but thanks for the correction MrN.
03-28-03 | 10:31 AM
#13
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Mystery solved. Ebert admits to changing his online review. From his Answer-Man column:
I wrongly identified the beating victim, as several readers wrote me. My excuse: At the time La Tenia is being sought, we have not seen the rape and do not know what the rapist looks like. Nor do we get a clear view of the man actually being beaten. As Darren Fernandi of Brampton, Ontario, observed, "half the people I saw it with made this same mistake." When I did see La Tenia (in the backwards chronology of the film) I did not realize he was not the man beaten in the earlier scene. That they beat the wrong man is indeed even more depressing, although one could argue that all of the movie's violence is equally wrong--the revenge turning "ordinary" men into creatures as violent as the rapist.
I will correct the review online. But please, no messages about whether I ever change a review online. Of course I do, to correct mistakes above all. It is intended as a current resource, not a historical record.
I will correct the review online. But please, no messages about whether I ever change a review online. Of course I do, to correct mistakes above all. It is intended as a current resource, not a historical record.
