Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Lucy Walters
Steve McQueen
Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen
Rated NC-17
101 Mins.
Fox Searchlight
a second time. It was upon my second viewing of the film, after I'd had a short while to process the experience, that I finally came to terms with the film's mind-blowing impact on my own psyche'. My first viewing of the film left me feeling oddly detached and even apathetic about the film and its characters despite extraordinary performances from Michael Fassbender, who gives a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination, and Carey Mulligan, who does the same. It was in the middle of my second viewing that it occurred to me that the uncomfortable detachment and apathy was, in fact, because I was so deeply immersed in Fassbender's character, Brandon, a sex addict whose every moment is consumed by the pursuit of sex but for whom the act means quite literally nothing emotionally or even physically. Sex is Brandon's compulsion, his only way of existing in a life stripped of all its joy and of all its purpose. When his sister Sissy (Mulligan) shows up at his apartment needing a place to crash for a few days, it throws his life into complete disarray and further into a downward spiral as her histrionic, emotionally needy existence plays bumper cars with his emotionally claustrophobic lifestyle. is the kind of film you exit either completely blown away or utterly repulsed but, in most cases, feeling like you couldn't possibly go through the experience again. That's a pity, really, because it could very well have been a factor in the lack of Oscar recognition for the incredibly well done film. While I don't necessarily feel compelled to bash the Academy's nominees for Best Actor, and was pleasantly surprised by Demian Bichir's, it's a travesty that Fassbender is not considered to be among the top five actors in 2011. Director Steve McQueen wisely strips the film bare, aided by Abi Morgan's barebones script that provides little in the way of backstory for the key players here and little in the way of distracting side stories. Morgan, who also penned this year's almost doc like which did snag an Oscar nomination for lead Meryl Streep, has constructed here a remarkably focused and painfully honest look at sexual addiction that would likely turn Fassbender into a household name if not for the film's NC-17 rating largely owing to Fassbender's full frontal nudity. But, really. There's no possible way this film could have been made without the full frontal nudity, a choice that can sometimes feel manipulative and exploitative but one which feels absolutely essential here. The same is true for Carey Mulligan, a critically acclaimed actress who exposes all here but does so with such stunning vulnerability and almost a lack of presence that it's acting in itself. also proves that Mulligan is quite the singer, turning a rendition of Kander and Ebb's "New York, New York" into an unforgettable, beautifully paced and realized unfolding revelation of her character. The chemistry between Fassbender and Mulligan is uncomfortably amazing, one emotionally shut down and one completely unable to emotionally shut down. It's impossible to not wonder exactly what unfolded earlier in their lives, but Morgan and McQueen never spill the beans. While is a two-character tour-de-force, there are other plays who leave a strong impact including James Badge Dale, who plays the boss who has to reveal to Brandon that his work computer has been confiscated due to the discovery of excessive porn usage. Lucy Walters and Nicole Beharie also have exceptional moments. But, is all about Brandon and Sissy. D.P. Sean Bobbitt shoots the film simply yet authentically, often lingering on faces, bodies and empty spaces as if drawing a parallel between them all. There have been few films in the past year where the writer, director, cast and cinematographer have seemed to so clearly be on the same page. is a mesmerizing, unforgettable film yet one that will leave you so emotionally strung out by film's end that you will likely think twice before ever sitting down to watch it again. But, perhaps, it will be much like sex for Brandon...an unavoidable compulsion that keeps calling you back no matter how hard you try. |
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‘shame’: what the critics are saying.
Steve McQueen's erotic drama garnered praise for star Michael Fassbender's haunting performance as a sex addict.
By THR Staff
Shame Laptop Film Still - H 2011
Fox Searchlight’s drama, Shame , was getting plenty of buzz even before it opened in theaters on Friday, December 2, due to its controversial subject matter following a sex addict in New York City and its subsequent NC-17 rating.
The film is directed by Steve McQueen who teamed up with the star of his 2008 film Hunger, Michael Fassbender . Fassbender’s performance as sex addict Brandon was praised by many critics. Carey Mulligan also stars in the film as Brandon’s sister who comes to town and disrupts his lifestyle.
PHOTOS: The Dirty Dozen — Films that Narrowly Avoided an NC-17
McQueen’s (who is featured in THR ‘s director roundtable ) erotic drama premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Fassbender won the Best Actor award. Because of the highly sexual content of the film, including scenes of full frontal nudity from both Fassbender and Mulligan, the film received an NC-17 rating. Searchlight did not appeal the rating or make any cuts to secure an R-rating. Instead, it’s readying a major awards push for the film.
Overall, the critics heaped on praise for McQueen’s hypnotizing film and Fassbender’s stunning performance.
STORY: Nudity, Three-Ways, Hints of Incest: A Studio’s Plan to Sell ‘Shame’ to Oscar
“ Shame is a real walk on the wild side, a scorching look at a case of sexual addiction that’s as all-encompassing as a craving for drugs,” wrote The Hollywood Reporter ’s Todd McCarthy.
McCarthy also praised Fassbender’s “brilliant, ferocious” performance. “It’s amazing that it has taken him this long to be fully recognized, as he’s got it all: Looks, authority, physicality, command of the screen, great vocal articulation, a certain chameleon quality and the ability to suggest a great deal within while maintaining outward composure, just for starters,” added McCarthy.
THR’s Directors Roundtable: How to Fire People, Who to Steal From, and Amy Pascal’s Secret Advice
“Sexually graphic enough to earn its NC-17 rating yet made with a restraint that’s both unflinching and unnerving, this is a psychologically claustrophobic film that strips its characters bare literally and figuratively, leaving them, and us, nowhere to hide,” wrote Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times.
“It is Mulligan and most especially Fassbender that give the film its power,” adds Turan. “The desperation, hostility and despair he conveys through the act of sex make Shame a film that is difficult to watch but even harder to turn away from.”
VIDEO: ‘Shame’ Red Band Trailer: Michael Fassbender Brings Sex to the Subway
“In a movie era remarkable for its reluctance to dramatize erotic intimacy, Shame merits praise for the dark energy of its sexual encounters,” wrote Time ’s Richard Corliss.
“What’s really off-putting about Brandon’s trysts is their bleakness,” added Corliss. “Filmed in elegant, unrelenting long takes with very few traditional reaction shots, Shame unspools like a documentary on the rutting of feral animals.”
“How can visual pleasure communicate existential misery? It is a real and interesting challenge, and if “Shame” falls short of meeting it, the seriousness of its effort is hard to deny,” wrote A.O. Scott of The New York Times.
STORY: Year of the Hunk: How George Clooney, Michael Fassbender Could Save the Oscars
“The movie, for all its displays of honesty (which is to say nudity), is also curiously coy. It presents Brandon for our titillation, our disapproval and perhaps our envy, but denies him access to our sympathy,” continued Scott.
“Fassbender’s performance here is riveting, haunting. He immerses himself and makes you feel as if you’re truly watching a man hell-bent on exorcising his demons through compulsive self-destruction,” wrote The AP ’s Christy Lemire.
Lemire, however, did have problems with the latter part of the film, writing that Fassbender’s character’s “descent has its shocking moments but it ultimately feels tedious and self-indulgent, which turns “Shame” into a cross between American Psycho and Eyes Wide Shut. The cool precision of the film’s earlier scenes gives way to melodrama and leaves you feeling pummeled. Perhaps that was the point, but it’s off-putting.”
Shame: film review, 'shame' officially rated nc-17, thr's directors roundtable: how to fire people, who to steal from, and amy pascal's secret advice, thr's awards season roundtable series 2011: the directors, 'shame' red band trailer: michael fassbender brings sex to the subway (video), thr newsletters.
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[ This is a reprint of my review from the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Shame opens tomorrow in limited release. ]
Alcoholics are told they'll never find love in a bottle and drug addicts are told they'll never find happiness in a needle. But what about sex addicts whose compulsion precludes them from intimacy and love? Steve McQueen 's Shame delves deep into the life of a sex addict and with laser-like focus examines the pain and torment that can drive such a person away from heartfelt interactions and towards self-destruction. McQueen's inspired and confident direction coupled with a heart-breaking performance from star Michael Fassbender makes Shame far more than a PSA or a righteous condemnation. McQueen and Fassbender make Shame a devastating powerhouse.
Brandon (Fassbender) is a sex addict who has closed off his life from any emotional contact. He wakes up naked and strolls around his apartment because there's no one to cover up for, no one to impress. He feeds his sex addiction with hookers, random pick-ups, masturbating in the restroom at work, a steady stream of porn, and hides it all under a cool, calm veneer. His tranquil downward slide is accelerated by the arrival of his ne'er-do-well sister, Sissy ( Carey Mulligan ). Sissy is Brandon's inverse. She's overly emotional, feels everything deeply, and voices her need for comfort. They're equally messed up, share the same loneliness, but while Sissy has no problem crying for help, Fassbender runs away from any intimacy, especially from his only family and the one woman he'll never want to sleep with. As Shame unfolds, Brandon's failed attempts to connect with other people only send him deeper into his own pain and anguish.
Coupled with his debut film Hunger , McQueen demonstrates that he may be one of the smartest directors working today. He once again takes advantage of long, uninterrupted takes that provide his actors with the room to give full, rich performances, but the direction is never stage-y. McQueen always frames his shot perfectly for maximum effect. I was taken in by the subtle power of how the frame almost always keeping Brandon to the far right of the screen. This oft-repeated shot keeps the character trapped, isolated, and unable to cross over and connect with anyone else. It's a beautiful visual metaphor that never feels heavy-handed.
Just as he can create beautiful tracking shots and exquisite framing, McQueen also knows how to be unrelentingly harsh. There's a horrific claustrophobia to Brandon's world. He's cruelly taunted every time he sees a woman that he can fuck but never love. When McQueen opens the film showing Fassbender's full-frontal nudity or a nude shot of Mulligan or any of the film's countless sex acts, it's not to titillate but to drive us into Brandon's mindset. McQueen forces us to live in a world where sex is completely joyless. Any director who can take copious amounts of sex between attractive people and make it completely unappealing without being overtly disgusting is some kind of mad genius.
The other mad genius of Shame is Fassbender. He has already given three outstanding performances this year with Jane Eyre , X-Men: First Class , and A Dangerous Method , but Shame is his best. Fassbender brings ugliness to charm, anguish to intimacy, and a devastating range of emotions that show a man who clearly can't even remember the last time he was happy and is clinging to what remains of his corroded soul. On the surface, Brandon shouldn't be a pitiable character. He's handsome, wealthy, and gets to have sex with beautiful women. But through Fassbender, we feel every moment of Brandon's torment.
Fassbender and McQueen are the major stars of Shame but I would be remiss if I didn't mention Mulligan. She has to stand as Brandon's mirror, convey just as much suffering, and has less screen-time to do it. Mulligan rises to the occasion and her performance is even better than her acclaimed breakthrough role in An Education . Sissy is a singer and I don't know if its Mulligan's voice in the character's performance of "New York, New York" but it's a scene that will absolutely break your heart.
Shame is not an easy film. It's not a film you "enjoy". It puts you in a choke-hole and then forces you down further and further into the depths of one man's pain. There's no humor, no relief, and it's not a film you want to watch again immediately after seeing it. But you respect every moment.
Common Sense Media
Movie & TV reviews for parents
Parents' guide to.
Powerful drama about sex addiction is NOT for kids.
Parents need to know that the NC-17-rated Shame is all about sex addiction, and the movie is filled with nudity, destructive sexual behavior, strong simulated sex scenes, and innuendo. Some of the sex scenes play out a big roughly; there's also violence in the form of a bar fight (not entirely shown)…
Both male and female full-frontal nudity. Several graphic sex scenes, with thrus
Frequent use of strong words including "f--k," "screw," "s--t," "t-ts," "d--k,"
Characters seem to drink just about every night in bars, restaurants, and at hom
A character attempts suicide and is seen covered in blood. The main character ge
Characters are seen drinking Red Bull more than once. A container of Trader Joe'
The movie is mainly about sexual addiction and stays intently focused on that pa
The main character has a sexual addiction. As a result, he acts selfishly and tr
Both male and female full-frontal nudity. Several graphic sex scenes, with thrusting, sound effects, and nudity, though much of the actual sex occurs off-screen and is mainly suggested. Some of the sex scenes play out roughly and with a kind of simmering anger. The main character has several partners, including prostitutes, women he picks up, and a man in a gay sex club. He watches porn on his computer (pornographic images are briefly shown) and compulsively masturbates. A secondary, married character cheats on his wife. Very strong sexual innuendo.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Frequent use of strong words including "f--k," "screw," "s--t," "t-ts," "d--k," "p---y," "a--hole," "bitch," "hell," "oh my God" (as an exclamation), and more.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
Characters seem to drink just about every night in bars, restaurants, and at home. The main character enjoys martinis, wine, and beer. Only the secondary characters appear to get drunk. The main character snorts cocaine in one scene.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
A character attempts suicide and is seen covered in blood. The main character gets into a fistfight in a bar after trying to pick up someone else's girlfriend. The fight itself isn't really shown, but the character's face is bloodied afterward.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Characters are seen drinking Red Bull more than once. A container of Trader Joe's orange juice is visible.
The movie is mainly about sexual addiction and stays intently focused on that particular world. Although the main character begins to realize that he has a problem and takes baby steps toward solving it, the ending remains ambiguous.
The main character has a sexual addiction. As a result, he acts selfishly and treats others without care or respect. He does seem to realize that he has a problem, but he doesn't ask for help.
Parents need to know that the NC-17-rated Shame is all about sex addiction, and the movie is filled with nudity, destructive sexual behavior, strong simulated sex scenes, and innuendo. Some of the sex scenes play out a big roughly; there's also violence in the form of a bar fight (not entirely shown) and a bloody suicide attempt. Expect pretty frequent swearing (including "f--k" and "s--t"), plenty of drinking, and one scene in which the main character snorts cocaine. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .
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Based on 11 parent reviews
What's the story.
Brandon Sullivan ( Michael Fassbender ) has a problem. He can't seem to control his addiction to sex. Women throw themselves at him, and he sleeps with him. He hires prostitutes, watches porn on his computer (even at work), and masturbates compulsively. He tries to keep this life secret, but things get complicated when Brandon upsets his boss' plans to pick up a girl in a bar. The boss also discovers a cache of porn on Brandon's computer hard drive. At the same time, Brandon's sister ( Carey Mulligan ) arrives and asks to stay with him. This new situation, coupled with Brandon's shame and self-loathing, leads to many sibling arguments. Can she help, or will Brandon need to hit rock bottom first?
Despite SHAME's graphic content, director Steve McQueen (who also directed 2008's Hunger ) presents the material in a respectful, artistic manner, favoring long takes and spare dialogue. This quiet, moody film focuses more on character behavior than plot or a conclusion. Rather than a stern treatise on the dangers of sexual addiction, McQueen's approach allows viewers to enter into the situation at their own pace and find their own emotional connection.
While the movie's erotic content stands out, McQueen creates many other, memorable scenes, such as Brandon weeping at his sister sings a slow, moving rendition of "New York, New York" in a nightclub, or a mesmerizing scene in which Brandon jogs down the streets of New York for long minutes, drowning out the noise with Glenn Gould on his headphones and trying to re-focus himself. In the two lead roles, Fassbender and Mulligan tread dangerous territory, and both succeed admirably.
Families can talk about the movie's sexual content. What is sex addiction? Can it be treated? What are the real-life consequences of this kind of problem?
Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding relationships and sex, particularly when it comes to staying safe.
Where and how does the title Shame come into play?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
What to watch next.
Drama movies that tug at the heartstrings.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
A sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay. A sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay. A sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay.
Sissy Sullivan : We're not bad people. We just come from a bad place.
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Kenneth Turan
A new film called Shame arrives in theaters with several honors, including the best actor award from the Venice Film Festival. It also arrives with a rare NC-17 rating. Michael Fassbender plays Brandon, a New Yorker who's addicted to sex.
Movie reviews, lives of paralyzing 'shame,' for reasons unexplained.
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Steve McQueen’s “Shame” is a film one can rarely encounter. The director is also a visual artist, which obviously has an immense impact on his visual and narrative style. “Shame” is his second film, following his debut film “Hunger” which doesn’t shy away from showing the brutality and violence inflicted upon an individual, in a way that is straightforward but impartial. “Shame”, on the other hand, presents us a narrative of destructiveness the individual suffers due to his own acts and that very self-destructiveness is rooted in the condition the main character is in.
The film deals with sexual addiction intertwining this subject with its effects on family bonds, the character’s relationship to his environment, and himself. It poses questions about the nature of relationships in contemporary times in general, and even questions the time we live in in general terms. It presents all of this without shame, completely strips the individual to his bare essence, twists it into something almost unrecognizable yet oddly familiar.
McQueen shows us the individual stripped down to his most basic needs and instincts, helpless but combative. He is aggressive toward his environment, but nervous about himself and almost terrified when confronted with a need to connect with others on any level.
The brilliance of “Shame” is that it portrays all of that sincerely and without masks and false pretenses. McQueen doesn’t try to “sell” us any viewpoints; he just presents the individual as he is, and the final “judgment” rests with the viewer. Yet one may be compelled not to make it, since the complexity of the character and his sufferings is multidimensional and tends to “evade” facile conclusions.
1. Michael Fassbender’s unvarnished performance
After Marlon Brando was done with filming “Last Tango In Paris”, he said that the whole experience made him feel raped. In a scene, Brando tells a story of his childhood which was deeply personal to him; Brandon, on a date with Marianne, tells her that he is from Ireland, the same country Fassbender is from.
Fassbender’s role is no less demanding: to present a character stripped down to the core, his instincts and primordial desires, suffering and despair, he has to lay himself bare – and he completely succeeds. The film starts with Brandon lying naked on a bed, presumably waking up; it is a position in which one is vulnerable. The next scene shows him in a bathroom with the door open.
The tone of the the film is set from the very beginning; we expect to meet Brandon in his most vulnerable and personal affectations, feelings and desires. We get that and much more; the laying bare of a character in front of the audience is nothing new in cinema, but the performance Fassbender gives takes it on a whole new level; it is acted completely naturally and all masks are falling, leaving nothing hidden from the viewer.
2. Unrestrained sexual desire and suffering
In his work, Arthur Schopenhauer came to the conclusion that emotional, physical and sexual desires cause suffering and can never be fulfilled. Suffering is our “positive” state from which we escape only momentarily, only to be caught again into the circle of desire and suffering. This notion cannot be more true for Brandon, since he suffers without sex and as soon as his desires are fulfilled. He cannot escape this circle of suffering he is cast into, he can only live by its malicious laws.
For Brandon, there is no prospect of liberation from his sufferings, since he denies the possibility of commitment, as the dialogue over a dinner table strongly implies. The everlasting ravaging desire and the need to try to fulfill it reminds of Dante’s “Inferno”; with each step Brandon is falling deeper and deeper into the never-ending torture, although he’s trying to escape it by throwing away his laptop and pornography.
The scene in which he has sex with two women shows his intensified suffering and almost a lack of pleasure; this scene can be juxtaposed to the beaten face of Bobby Sands in “Hunger”, also played by Fassbender. Both of them, for completely different reasons, suffer the same despair and anguish. Suffering inflicted upon ourselves as a result of unsatisfied desires can be even more cruel than the suffering others inflict; our drives and urges, as Schopenhauer thought, are the main reason for our misfortune and constant anguish.
3. The music
The music in the film is rather timid, but in the most important and dramatic moments it enhances the feeling of anticipation and a sense that what we are about to see leads to more suffering from the main character and he can hardly escape it. The constant ticking while the music plays enhances the feeling of anticipation and uneasiness. The music was made by Henry Escott; the low strings create a somber and almost solemn atmosphere.
His music plays while Brandon is on a train and is observing a woman across him, while she is smiling, obviously aroused as well. The music makes us feel the tension which is almost overwhelming. Brandon is listening to Glenn Gould’s piano music on the earphones, searching for calmness and composure in music which he cannot find in his daily life. This calmness is much needed as a brief relief after observing a tortured character.
Blondie’s “Rapture” plays in the club where an atmosphere of easiness prevails, contrasted to Brandon’s uneasiness. In a very emotional scene, in which Brandon himself drops a tear, his sister is singing Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York”; she appears vulnerable and shy and her performance is beautiful and straightforward in its sensitivity.
4. A study in loneliness
Brandon is alone, as his sister reminds him: “You don’t have anybody.” He engages in sexual encounters with prostitutes or women he meets, but he is utterly and completely alone. His reservation in the company of other people and his nervous laughter on a date show that he is not accustomed to sharing his experience; he cannot do that since his condition is not socially acceptable.
His loneliness is not only grounded in the condition he is in, but also in his need to be self-dependent; he gets a “chance” to make a connection with Marianne, but when they are about to have sex, he escapes commitment and has sex with another woman with whom he is not connected at all. When his sister enters his life, there is a shortage of laughter and meaningful conversations; all he is trying to do is to keep her as far away from him as possible. Being alone is his “modus vivendi”, the one he does not wish, or cannot overcome.
13 Jan 2012
101 minutes
A film about sex addiction from the team that made the IRA strike drama Hunger was never likely to be a frothy, titillating romp, and the film Steve McQueen has made — co-written with playwright Abi Morgan — is every bit as intellectually austere as one might imagine. It is also recognisably from the same well; though it is set in the modern day, takes place in the US and is seemingly not in the least bit political, it is a film about free will and the age-old battle between body and soul. In Hunger, Bobby Sands’ soul won that battle, but Brandon in Shame is not so fortunate: he thinks he’s a hedonist when in fact he’s a slave, both to his body and its desperate, physical need for contact.
The film even begins as a horror film might, with an ominous orchestral score and Brandon on the subway, making eye contact with the woman opposite. First he smiles, and she smiles back, but his gaze never drops and she becomes nervous. Flirtation becomes pursuit, with Brandon’s eyes narrowing, the smile losing its good humour, the body language turning predatory as the woman, now flustered, leaves, trying to lose him in the crowd. She does, and the whole film is here in microcosm: when he realises he’s lost her, Brandon’s bravado melts into child-like disappointment. What will he do now? From the start, the mask is slipping.
For a character study of such depth and intimacy, it helps to have a leading man who can rise to the challenge, and fortunately Shame’s intellectual rigours are leavened by a tour de force performance by the mighty Michael Fassbender. He gives Brandon depth and humanity; this is not, strictly speaking, a simple male-ego-in-crisis movie, even though it does play as a slightly more complex reworking of Alfie. Played by Fassbender, Brandon is a regular guy, albeit someone who keeps his mental wounds hidden from the world and maintains an admirable regime of denial.
That we can understand and believe in Brandon as a man on the verge of unravelling comes down to another remarkable performance, by Carey Mulligan as Sissy. It’s too small a role for her by far, but she works wonders with what she has. Seeing Sissy — theatrical, flaky, self-harming and self-
sabotaging — sets Brandon’s mind reeling. Are they the same? Deep down, he decides, they are, which is a realisation that is key to the eye-popping last act. It is not, however, a film without humour and warmth, provided respectively and in equal measure by James Badge Dale as Brandon’s boss and Nicole Beharie as his secretary, and it is these supporting players that give Shame its potency. The film lurches fatally into melodrama in its closing minutes, but although it adds a grim, moralistic aftertaste, it isn’t enough to derail an unflinching, moving study of 21st-century loneliness.
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COMMENTS
Shame. NEW. Successful and handsome New Yorker Brandon (Michael Fassbender) seems to live an ordinary life, but he hides a terrible secret behind his mask of normalcy: Brandon is a sex addict. His ...
to shun the heaven that leads men to this hell. "Shame," anchored to the treadmill of Brandon's pathology, strips this ancient, futile wisdom of its poetry. Mr. McQueen is a tenaciously ...
Shame Reviews. There's no doubting that it's artfully shot, but its lack of dialogue and challengingly languorous pacing will be patience-testing for many. Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 ...
By Todd McCarthy. September 4, 2011 10:31am. Driven by a brilliant, ferocious performance by Michael Fassbender, Shame is a real walk on the wild side, a scorching look at a case of sexual ...
Honestly, it was better than Eyes Wide Shut. Shame is an incredible film. It got a lot of critical acclaim when it was first released, but I am often surprised by how few people have seen it. Beautifully filmed and edited, extremely smart, minimalist script and incredibly subtle performances from everyone in the film.
Ad Feedback. "Shame," the excellent and profoundly disturbing sophomore film (following 2008's highly-regarded "Hunger") from English director Steve McQueen, is basically a character ...
Shame Reviews - Metacritic. 2011. TV-MA. Fox Searchlight Pictures. 1 h 41 m. Summary Brandon is a New Yorker who shuns intimacy with women but feeds his desires with a compulsive addiction to sex. When his wayward younger sister moves into his apartment stirring memories of their shared painful past, Brandon's insular life spirals out of control.
79%. Critics say Shame is an intense, beautifully crafted portrait of a profoundly damaged soul, often painful but powerfully acted. Shame stars Michael Fassbender as a sex addict whose inner demons threaten to spiral out of control when his troubled younger sister (Carey Mulligan) moves into his apartment, bringing her resentments with her.
But, Shame is all about Brandon and Sissy. D.P. Sean Bobbitt shoots the film simply yet authentically, often lingering on faces, bodies and empty spaces as if drawing a parallel between them all. There have been few films in the past year where the writer, director, cast and cinematographer have seemed to so clearly be on the same page.
Driven by a brilliant, ferocious performance by Michael Fassbender, Shame is a real walk on the wild side, a scorching look at a case of sexual addiction that's as all-encompassing as a craving for drugs. 100. Variety Justin Chang. A mesmerizing companion piece to his 2008 debut, "Hunger," this more approachable but equally uncompromising drama ...
The film is directed by Steve McQueen who teamed up with the star of his 2008 film Hunger, Michael Fassbender. Fassbender's performance as sex addict Brandon was praised by many critics. Carey ...
Shame is a 2011 British erotic psychological drama film, set in New York, directed by Steve McQueen, co-written by McQueen and Abi Morgan, and starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan as grown siblings. It was co-produced by Film4 and See-Saw Films.The film's explicit scenes reflecting the protagonist's sexual addiction resulted in a rating of NC-17 in the United States.
Shame is not an easy film. It's not a film you "enjoy". It puts you in a choke-hole and then forces you down further and further into the depths of one man's pain. There's no humor, no relief, and ...
Our review: Parents say (11 ): Kids say (5 ): Despite SHAME's graphic content, director Steve McQueen (who also directed 2008's Hunger) presents the material in a respectful, artistic manner, favoring long takes and spare dialogue. This quiet, moody film focuses more on character behavior than plot or a conclusion.
Shame: Directed by Steve McQueen. With Michael Fassbender, Lucy Walters, Mari-Ange Ramirez, James Badge Dale. A sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay.
Shame (2011) starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan is reviewed by Christy Lemire (AP critic and host of Ebert Priesents at the Movies, check your lo...
A new film called Shame arrives in theaters with several honors, including the best actor award from the Venice Film Festival. It also arrives with a rare NC-17 rating. Michael Fassbender plays ...
Steve McQueen's "Shame" is a film one can rarely encounter. The director is also a visual artist, which obviously has an immense impact on his visual and narrative style. "Shame" is his second film, following his debut film "Hunger" which doesn't shy away from showing the brutality and violence inflicted upon an individual, in a ...
Dec 1, 2011. It is Mulligan and most especially Fassbender that give the film its power. The desperation, hostility and despair he conveys through the act of sex make Shame a film that is difficult to watch but even harder to turn away from. Read More. By Kenneth Turan FULL REVIEW.
12 Jan 2012. Running Time: 101 minutes. Certificate: 18. Original Title: Shame. A film about sex addiction from the team that made the IRA strike drama Hunger was never likely to be a frothy ...
Shame. Former musicians Jan Rosenberg (Max von Sydow) and his wife, Eva (Liv Ullmann), have left the city to avoid a civil war and now live on a rural island where they tend a farm. While the ...
Thank you all so much for voting for this film! Gave me the push I needed to open up the blu ray that I bought 7 years ago and finally watch it. No regrets h...
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