For some Shame will not be an easy film to watch. As its main character is suffering from a sexual addiction there are quite a few graphic scenes that will leave some audience members heading for the door… but those who choose to avoid this film are missing out on a terrific gritty film with one of the finest acting performances we have seen from a male actor for quite a long time.
Shame follows Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender – X-Men: First Class, Jane Eyre) who on the outside looks like your typical financial worker. But what his friends and colleagues don’t know is that Brandon suffers from a sexual addiction that needs fulfilling (whether it be with a random hook-up, a prostitute or even porn) a number of times a day. Soon this addiction is causing problems in both Brandon’s personal and work lives and to add to the stress his mentally unhinged sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan – Drive, Never Let Me Go) has arrived to stay with him awhile.
Director, Steve McQueen (Hunger) has made this film eerily beautiful, which in some way detracts from the fact that Shame’s sex scenes make Basic Instinct look like child’s play. McQueen doesn’t trivialize sexual addiction he shows it at its full gory worst, and at times this means the film really goes into some dark places, as does the fact that you never know what Sissy is going to do next. McQueen does make this film look sensational though. The scene of Brandon running through the city in a bid to forget and avoid that fact that Sissy is having sex with David (James Badge Dale – Polish Bar, The Conspirator) is inventive while the way he captures New York through his lense shows he has an air of class.
One thing you do realise after watching Shame is that Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan both deserve Oscar nominations for their roles. Fassbender is sensational while Mulligan takes the role of Sissy and makes it her own, their scenes together are brutally fascinating and full of energy while Mulligan’s rendition of ‘New York New York’ is hauntingly beautiful.
If you like your cinema gritty and in-your-face than Shame is the film for you. Ground-breaking and confronting this film will stay with you for a long time.
Year: 2011
Director: Steve McQueen
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale
Classification: R18+
Runtime: 101 mins
Rating: 