I Stand Alone is the first feature film from French director Gasper Noe (Irreversible). It revolves around a man, referred to only as the Butcher, powerfully acted by Philippe Nahon (High Tension, Irreversible) who "walks out" on his pregnant wife and her mother, after brutally beating one and threatening the other, to try to make a living in a deadbeat town.

I Stand Alone isn't so much a film as it is a character study. At face value, it's actually rather boring. With the exception of two disturbingly violent scenes, it's essentially a guy walking around trying to find a job or sitting in a bedroom contemplating suicide. However the Butcher constantly speaks through voice-over, commentating on virtually every aspect of his life as well as life as a whole. For the most part, his rants are hatred-fueled, misanthropic, and nihilistic. The result is rather negative and depressive but somewhat engaging as well. The Butcher is a brutish character and seldom in film do we get to know a character like this so well. While the majority the film is extremely dark and depressive, the conclusion of the film leaves one feeling confused. In a sense, it's touching and uplifting, but at the same time, it's creepy and, well, kind of wrong. Nevertheless, it's satisfying and surprising. Not an ending the character of the Butcher would lead you to expect.

Cinematically speaking, I Stand Alone shares much in common with Irreversible (a superior film IMO). The hugely-fonted subtitles are back pop up to throw some philosophy at the audience, as is the quick-cutting editing, usually accompanied by the sound of gunshots. Unlike Irreversible, however, I Stand Alone seems much more concerned with meaning than filmmaking technicality.

All in all, a pretty decent experimental film although certainly not meant to entertain. In general, it doesn't seem to cater to what one expects to get from watching a film. Approach with caution.