charles000
It's odd how some reviewers seem to have found this film lacking . . . but one can never account for personal taste, or limited range of interest.As for me, however, this film is brilliant! I've seen Rosario's work in other films (7 pounds, with Will Smith and Woody Harrelson comes to mind), but here, she is the perfect rendition of the character she portrays, and perhaps that's why some people are disturbed by this story and how it unfolds.No fluff here, it cuts to the bone in a range of interrelated themes which are perhaps a little too close to home for some, but I will offer this bit of insight, without providing a spoiler (which I never do in any reviews), the ending is, well . . . rewarding in its own way. You won't see it coming until the very last scene, but when it comes, you will appreciate the ironically unique fashion in which justice, even in the darkest of circumstances, does have a way of becoming manifest.This may be Rosario's best work yet, but no doubt she will have her chance at other roles yet to come.
Michael_Elliott
Descent (2007) BOMB (out of 4)Lame and painful "drama" about a bright, young college girl (Rosario Dawson) who is raped by her date (Chad Faust) and soon finds herself at sex clubs doing cocaine and taking home various men. Since the rape her life is spinning out of control but she soon bumps into her rapist and decides to turn the table on him. I normally don't watch extras on a DVD unless it's a movie I enjoy or one I'm interested in but this horrid film had me curious so I checked out a few interviews with Dawson and her friend, director Lugacy. It's clear both women thought they were making something that "needed to be done" and something very important but it appears neither one had seen the film. I say that as a joke as I'm sure both had seen the film but this is a complete disaster from start to finish and in the end I couldn't help but find myself bored out of my mind. Lugacy must be a fan of Kubrick because she has dialogue and scenes that just go on and on and on. Clearly she wants these long scenes to draw the viewer in but let's face it, she's no Kubrick. These scenes are so mind-blowing awful that I couldn't help but want to hit the fast-forward button. The dialogue is poorly written and not once does any of it make you want to think. The incredibly bad sequences inside the sex club just go on forever and at the end of the scenes nothing has happened. We get bad sequences of Dawson standing in front of a mirror talking to herself or her involved in sex scenes yet she's fully dressed. The movie has the atmosphere of an exploitation movie but it never crosses into that territory until the final ten-minutes when the actual revenge takes place. I won't ruin the ending but it has an interesting twist that just doesn't work because by the time it comes most viewers, myself included, will either be sleeping, have turned the film off or simply won't care. The ending also doesn't work like it should just because the direction isn't strong enough to make it work. Dawson is someone I like but she's not very good here but a lot of this can be blamed on the screenplay. This is certainly trying to be a character study but her character never grows and instead of learning anything about her we just see her enter various stages but without any emotion behind them. The film received an NC-17 rating but I'd question this as there's not any nudity until the end and there's really very little profanity. The rape of Dawson is very tame so I'm guessing the MPAA once again struck the rating because of the male nudity that happens at the end. I've read other negative reviews saying you have to at least give the film credit for being brave but I'd disagree with that. I didn't find this film brave at all as the dark subject matter is hardly looked at and not once did I believe anything I was seeing. There might be a good story or idea here but everything is carried out so poorly that nothing works and in the end this movie started to get on my nerves by the fifteen-minute mark. Torture is something used in this film but the main victim is the viewer.
kosmasp
I'm going to write about this movie and about "Irreversible" (the (in)famous scene in it). So you are warned, if you haven't seen the movie yet. This are just my thoughts, why I think the movie fails (in the end - pun intended).Acting wise, Rosario Dawson is really good and almost conveys portraying someone almost a decade younger (a teenager in other words). The villain guy is good, but loses his "evil" touch right before the end. If he really never changes, then why would he let a woman tie him up? He wouldn't, period. Then we also have the bartender/2nd rape Dude. Actually I don't think you would need him. At least not for the 2nd rape, but more about that later on.Let's reprise the story. Rosarios character is sexually insecure, might even have lesbian tendencies (see her scene with a female friend). This wasn't intentional, as Rosario states herself, but there is sexual tension between them. Rosario's character meets a guy, who is a sexual Predator, in all the bad senses. But he makes an impression on her.Rosario commented that her character had a boyfriend before. I beg to differ. Because she acts, as if it is her first boyfriend, which also underlines her phone conversation with her mother. Talking about her mother, here's another problem. After the first rape takes place, Rosarios character doesn't tell anyone what happened. Seiing that her relationship with her mother is a very close one, nothing of that gets explored after that. If Rosarios character wouldn't call her mother anymore or would behave strangely, the mother would be worried like crazy. There was so much potential here. Also her female friend: We see her at the party, it's obvious there is something going on and "boom" she is gone.The first rape is almost unbearable to watch. But feels like a pinch, when you compare it to the ending (rape), which feels like you're getting hit with a sledge hammer! After rape no. 1 we get too stretched out scenes. Threads are opened (such as her construction work is an indication that she might be lesbian, as one guy states who tried to hit on her ...), but left in the open. No real social contact is established, if you leave the bartender guy out, who is involved in the 2nd and last rape scene. It's apparent that he isn't a "nice" guy and his character get's fleshed out a bit. But when Rosarios character meets her rapist in class again, his being in the movie seems pointless. We get the point that Rosarios character isn't the same anymore, that she went "bad" and is able to hurt people. (Too) Many scenes show exactly that, her being without emotion just doing drugs and other stuff. Back to Rapist #1 who cheats on a test, gets caught by Rosarios character and they decide to hang out together again (really?). As absurd as that sounds, the guy meets up with her, not without us having seen him beforehand, with another girl (very likely that he raped her too, although we never see anything of that, fortunately) and his football career. Well career is a stretch and he is bullied. This is an attempt to give his character some depth and it almost works, but then again is too cliché to stay with you. So Rapist #1 submits to Rosarios character ... why exactly? Because he promised her, it was her day? Again, really? A guy like that never loses control, especially with a woman he raped before ... I guess this is supposed to show us how stupid he is. The bartender guy would have worked as someone who could have hit him over the head or something, but letting him submit like that, just feels wrong. Another possibility would have a drug in his drink.So rapist #1 undresses and get's blindfolded and let's Rosarios character tie him on a bed .... seriously, that's just crazy! But what comes next, is even crazier. First she talks to him, then she "shuts" him up and forces an object into him. This is as difficult to watch as rape scene number one. This isn't about what this guy deserves or not, it's just intense. And of course that was what they were aiming for. Now after she is "done" the bartender guy comes in and rapes ... rapist #1. If this really should work as a revenge movie, it would have been better if Rosarios character herself would have been doing all the "revenge". Having a henchman doing the job, takes away everything that was built up.This isn't supposed to be entertaining/enjoyable, it's a hard watch & it is Art-house. But the 10 minute (I didn't count ) rape scene at the end, just smashes everything. Rosarios character is more or less, only watching what happens. Which brings me to the biggest disappointment.Irreversible comparison: "Irreversible" had the rape scene, but the movie went on (even if it was back into time). Rosario is looking into the camera in the end and says something about having to get over this. First, that comes a bit too late, that should see her say that after the initial rape. And secondly and most importantly, this is where the Art-house movie should've come in. It is more interesting seeing were Rosarios character would go after the second rape scene and how she would cope, with what she had done. But then again, she didn't actually physically do that much (see above) ... a broken character that the movie cuts off ...Good intentions (Talia and Rosario had worked before), but failing to convey most of the things, they set out to do (even if you can see what they meant, it has to be convincing, otherwise it doesn't work) ... not to mention the overlong rape scenes as they are ...
