"Irreversible" takes reality and punches us full force in the gut with it. Needless to say, it will likely upset most audience members. The film actually created quite a stir at this year’s Cannes Film Festival with folks walking out of the screening early and one broad having to be treated for nausea by paramedics. So what did yours truly think? Well, this was a rough way to start my Monday!

Now yes, the film has an extremely vicious 9-minute rape scene that eventually transcends into a hard beating (I felt every blow…ouch). Yes, we’re taken into a lewd gay S&M club (appropriately named “Rectum”) where hand-jobs, fisting (what????) and blow jobs are all over the place. NOTE TO SELF: Stay away from gay S&M clubs. And yes, the film showcases moments of unadulterated violence that even made my hardened “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” bred soul wince in disgust. But I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news here; all those dark elements EXIST IN OUR SOCIETY! The director didn’t magically pull them out of his ass; they happen all the time, all over the world!

In my book of the dead, movies should not only have the task of entertaining our silly asses, but some of them should also reflect what’s taking place on our good old planet earth. "Irreversible" does just that. I personally don’t understand why the director and the film are being castrated for their honest approach. I mean, it’s not like the flick glamorizes the bleak and brutal happenings. It does the total opposite by showing us their unrestrained reality. There’s no sugar coating here yall! Rape is unfortunately very common and it happens on a regular basis around the globe. Even though most of us don’t see it, it’s still happening! This movie reminded me of what goes down behind my ignorant back and I think that’s a good thing. There’s more to life than our own self contained little existences. Having said that…MAN, IS THE WORLD FUCKED UP OR WHAT?

Narrative-wise, the film follows in “Memento’s” footsteps and plays everything backwards. Taking that route definitely gave the film an extra dimension, elevating the simple script to a higher level. It drove the theme of life’s fragile and unpredictable nature home. Leaving the theatre, thoughts like these raced through my mind: We might not see the nightmare coming around the corner. An everyday, happy couple CAN be destroyed by our violent society. A pragmatic and peaceful man CAN be turned into a primal, aggressive animal by a tragic event. We never think it will happen to us, until it does! Having the flick play in reverse reinforced those aspects and made my noggin work overtime. Sure, I would’ve had an easier time delving into the characters and the situation from the get-go if the action would’ve been played out in chronological order, but then the picture’s artistic and more existential edge would’ve been lost. So good move, Mr. Director! I also particularly dug the attention the film put on classic and sad human behavioral patterns. Notice how Marcus didn’t care that somebody got raped until he found out that it was his girl. Notice how that dude walking in the tunnel turned back the other way once he saw the rape taking place. I dug those little touches.

On a character level, the players here are mostly defined by the situations and that gave the flick a “What if this happened to me? What would I do?” type of vibe. Huge props go out to the bang-on cast who obviously improvised a lot of the dialogue. Having actors of Vincent Cassel and Monica Belluci’s caliber in the film made the characters so much more appealing and endearing. I particularly enjoyed the subway “orgasm” conversation. Although I still don’t get how an ex-boyfriend can talk about having sex with his ex-gal in front of her new boyfriend...I still smiled at the bantering. Isn’t that out of line though? If some ex-boyfriend would talk about the “hey days” of dicking my girl in front of me, I’d kick his ass! But that’s just me. Ahhh the French, so much more sexually liberated than we are.

I do have some pet peeves with the film though. The smaller one would be how the film dragged its ending out a bit too much. I understood why the movie went so far back and actually relished many of its more “softer” scenes, but I felt it should’ve ended a tad earlier to retain the momentum of what took place. But my main beef has to do with some of the directing choices. Since the story begins with the gruesome ending, to go back to the happier beginning, the opening shots are all over the place, with the camera traveling off walls and never seemingly finding a point of focus. I understood what the director was trying to do, he was basically echoing the chaos of the situation and the characters jumbled state of mind through his visuals, but I got very frustrated due to the zany camera shots. I wanted to get involved in the story so bad, but the epileptic cam would never stop shaking long enough to let me in. I even started to feel woozy at some points. In my opinion, the man overdoes it and managed to alienate me on some occasions. Is that how you should start a movie? By keeping your audience out? Not in my school of filmmaking! Easy on the “speed” there buddy! It’s not good for you!

Here are quotes from some of the Cannes audience members who walked out of this film's screening:

"It's disturbing and incredibly violent," Todd Rubenstein, an entertainment lawyer from Los Angeles, told Reuters as he left the auditorium.

"Not just the graphic violence and the language but the disorienting camera work made my stomach churn."

"It was too aggressive, too violent," said Pascal Gentil, a Tae Kwon Do medallist for France at the Sydney Olympics (news - web sites), as he left with a companion after 15 minutes.

"When I see a film like that I find it hard to imagine what people must have inside them that they are able to make such a thing. I found it sickening."

“This is real life, you fuckers!", said The Arrow to a crowd of displeased Cannes walkouts. He went on to say: "Maybe if you’d take two seconds away from your satin sheets and your fancy cars, you’d realize that it’s not ALL puppy dogs and ice cream all over the world. Go rent "Black Knight" and stay ignorant you freaking fools!”