Shame

A few months back I saw a film called "Shame". You probably know it. It's the one with the fully naked Michael Fassbender. Now that I've had time to process the film, I feel ready to write about it.

Fassbender is Brandon, a lost man in New York battling his sex addiction, which is slowly getting harder to control. When his possibly even more lost little sister moves in with him, his life spirals out of control and has unpredictable effects on his and his sister's lives.

Honestly, after seeing this film, I was speechless, but at the same time I had so much on my mind. Everything from the absolutely beautiful score, heard in the beginning and end, to the editing was pitch perfect. The long take on Carey Mulligan singing " New York, New York" was one of the most capturing ones I have seen in a while. And the climatic scene(s) showing Brandon roaming the city, trying to find something to satisfy him when nothing is enough for him anymore, was beautiful and horrifying and hard to watch.

Michael Fassbender gives a bold performance as Brandon. His character is easy to hate, but at the same time, there is something very humane about him. I was enraged when I found out that the Academy did not give him the nomination for Best Actor. His performance made this film and he carries the weight of it without making us think he is trying too hard. His connection with Brandon is remarkable.

Carey Mulligan is good as Brandon's sister Sissy, but I did hope to see more of her. I did not feel a strong connection to her, she felt a bit thin. I also hoped to see Brandon's boss more. He was there in the beginning, where did he go all of a sudden? I wished for a phone message or an e-mail, explaining his sudden absence in Brandon's life, they were friends after all.

Steven McQueen has created a masterpiece that will challenge its audience without using complex plots with twist endings. He raises questions about addictions and the people behind them and how easily their lives spiral down when they cannot control their urges anymore, without passing judgment. He shows Brandon as a human being, not a villain or a tragic hero and that is what sets Shame apart from other films. It's realistic and it's good and you should see it.

-CoffeeCat