I Stand Alone

Extraordinary Noe debut about a Travis Bickle like character imploding in a rage of hatred against everyone. The inner monologue is written brilliantly. The ending is ambiguous as is much of the film. Great cinema.

The movie is a trip. Also has a few disturbing parts and some full penetration. But overall, you tagged along in the mind of a man who is having some troubles.

In monologue format, this movie is deeply indigestible and disturbing. The plot is dense, raw, full of degrading characters and cold, melancholic expressions. As the narrative progresses, the atmosphere becomes increasingly uncomfortable, culminating in truly nauseating moments. The script is impactful, full of cynicism and hate speech, which makes it extremely controversial. In addition, the explicit scenes contribute to the feeling of heaviness and discomfort that permeates the entire film.

People say this is about a disturbed man, but it's more about the reality some end up living in society. If you've ever been completely alone, hungry and unloved since birth you'll understand this movie. Obviously this isn't for everyone. It touches on places we avoid, and for good reason.
It's completely realistic for the most part. I think the parts of murderous fantasy and the end relationship were more for plot rather than realism. Very heavy on monologues. The monologues can be really powerful and honest but they can also be a little repetitive.
Some of the messages in this movie are about class, morality, law, consciousness, and the meaning of life itself. Whilst the honesty and intellegence in the messages make them brilliant, it still becomes a little repetitive as nothing new is layered each time they're revisited. So this can feel slow.

_Falling Down_’s edgy cousin. A story about a misanthropic nihilist and his descent into violent despair. It’s heavy on narration, which is a major flaw on the one hand, however in this case it adds so much character and dark comedy that I can’t see the film working without those monologues. Besides that, the main performance and character are easily the selling point here. It’s definitely emotionally challenging at points (no surprise there given the director) but ultimately it works as a rewarding, unique character study. It’s also pretty impressive to see Noé’s aesthetic being fully formed this early on in his career. Despite a lot of annoying editing choices (the 30 second warning sign, come fucking on) and a tinny sound mix, the visuals already have that very distinct fever dream feel I love about his work. Overall, a decent starting point for Noé with the lack of budget and refinement holding it back from being great.

5.5/10

_I Stand Alone_ / _Seul Contre Tous_ is like a Bukowski poem written in IMPACT font and punctuated with gunshots. Sadly, I prefer Bukowski written by hand and punctuated with bloody tears.

Look, I'm totally on board with the in-your-face filmmaking, I just don't like what he's sticking in my face.