MOVIE REVIEW: Shame

To contact us Click HERE

Fassbender is magnetic...Get it? Anyone?

How do youmeasure the best films you see? What system do you use to determine whether afilm is “great” or not? I’m not asking as a reviewer. I’m asking as amoviegoer. When you look back on the best movies you’ve ever seen, why do youthink they were the best? More often than not, those movies will be the onesyou can see yourself watching over and over again.
But thereshould be a special place reserved in our hearts for the movies that aren’teasy to relive. We’ve all seen those. They’re dark, they’re real, they’reemotionally harrowing, and while we can walk away deeply moved and impressed bythe cinematic power we’ve just witnessed, we can’t imagine going through itagain anytime soon. Shame, Steve McQueen’s second feature film, should beadded to that list.
The premiseis deceptively simple. Brandon (Michael Fassbender, who also starred inMcQueen’s first film, Hunger) has a great job and a great New York apartment,but struggles privately with an increasingly disruptive sex addiction. His lifeis further complicated by the arrival of his free-spirited sister Sissy (CareyMulligan) on his doorstep, fresh off a lovers’ quarrel and looking for a placeto crash. As his addiction consumes more and more of his time and energy,Brandon finds his private life suffering, and an air of desperation sets in.
I wasimmediately amazed by how physically beautiful the film is. The first shot is awonderfully composed portrait of Fassbender lying in bed, staring at theceiling. From there, McQueen uses the cityscape to his advantage, craftingmagnetic and compelling images even amid the ugliest of human struggles. It’s ajuxtaposition that makes the film both visually fascinating and emotionallycomplex.
McQueen’sskill as a writer also shines here. Shame never descends into clichédmelodrama or becomes a sensationalized tale of moral consequences. It’s thestory of a man’s battle with himself, told well and told true, and even in itsslowest moments (of which there are a few) that adherence to a genuine,unadorned story keeps it compelling.
The centerof the film, though, both logistically and emotionally, is Fassbenber. It’s amasterful performance. Brandon doesn’t talk much, doesn’t ever have one ofthose great confessional moments that allows him a measure of redemption. Themovie’s called Shame, after all, and Fassbender lets it seep into every poreof the character. He’s only now becoming a true movie star, but this film alsoproves that Fassbender is one of the finest actors of his generation. Mulliganalso shines, balancing out Brandon’s often cold demeanor with fire andvulnerability.
Shame isnot an easy film to watch, but it is nonetheless an extraordinary one.Sometimes the best films are the most harrowing, and even if you only see thisone once, it’s a trip worth taking.
Shame is available everywhere on Blu-Ray and DVD.