Irreversible (2002, France)
Gaspar Noé’s revenge thriller, “Irreversible,” is like a kick in the head. The opening credits set the stage for the camera work of the movie … twisting, turning shots that never really make you feel like you are on “stable” ground. Yes, motion-sick people should beware. The plot works backward from the revenge to the attack to the lead into the evening. The two set pieces of violence in this movie are brutal (the fight at “Rectum” and the rape). Noé is ballsy. His camera doesn’t flinch at all. The rape sequence is almost reverent in the fact that the camera (after all the movement that precedes this scene) settles on the floor of the tunnel and doesn’t move. You witness the horrific rape full-on with no cut, no edits. And that sort of “in your face” film making is what makes “Irreversible” a must-see for movie fans.

Stop-Loss (2008, USA)
While not the greatest movie ever made, I really enjoyed “Stop-Loss.” The story is a little uneven in spots but overall it holds together. Ryan Phillippe does a pretty fine acting job as well (and he’s hot too!). I would recommend checking it out.