Review of Shame (2011) by Keenan S — 06 Jun 2015

Shame is a provocative, enigmatic, and powerful film about one man's spiral into addiction and an examination of a troubled mind that cannot come to terms with his past.

This film certainly caused quite a stir with its tackling of sex addiction, and it is not shy about showing it explicitly at certain points. It's certainly a head-turner, but it's also one of those films that many will dismiss and never see because they will ignorantly rule it to be "pornography" and nothing more. It is not simple pornography, it is something much deeper and more complex - something that aims to explore the nature of addiction, one's past demons, and the psychological elements of sex.

The film follows a New York executive named Brandon who of course, as explained earlier, has a sex addiction which day by day becomes more insatiable, and has even begun to spread to his place of employment by constantly viewing pornography on his computer or masturbating in the bathroom.

Each day becomes a challenge in finding a new woman to sleep with and rather than it being something pleasurable and intimate, it has become all-consuming and emotionally-detached, only briefly satisfied before seeking another woman.

But his day-to-day endless loop of a sex-addicted life is suddenly interrupted when his sister, Sissy, shows up to stay with him for an indefinite period of time. Though never outright said, for whatever reason, Brandon is furious about this idea and becomes incensed by just about anything Sissy does, no matter how minor, leading to the viewer trying to interpret what may have occurred in their past - specifically something sexual, which may explain some part of Brandon's emotionless sexual compulsions.

With her arrival, his life continues to plummet in a downward spiral with his sexual addiction growing more erratic and aggressive, and his emotional state becoming increasingly manic and unstable as whatever tormented memories he has of her seem to return and take their toll on him.

The story is rather fascinating to explore, especially as it outright doesn't explain everything. It leaves the viewer to interpret and pick up the pieces to Brandon's mental state and what may have transpired between him and his sister that would make him have such hostile feelings towards her. It's a great character study about a man's inner demons he is trying so desperately to escape from and bury himself in the throes of addiction to cope with those torments.

Its portrayals of its subject matter make the film difficult to watch at times, especially with how emotionally devastating it can be. But it's not purely on an emotional level that makes this film so interesting, but also on a psychological level, like how Brandon picks the women he sleeps with. He can never have meaningful sex with a woman he knows and has some attachment to - he must sleep with a woman whom he has no attachments to - anonymity, so to speak. The sex is without substance - there is no love, no intimacy, no tenderness - it is all for the sake of sexual gratification, almost animal-like and primal. What void is he trying to fill with all the endless, emotionally-detached sex? The story never answers that question. Much like the elements of not only addiction, but the troubles in life itself, there are many factors, but no real answer altogether.

It's performances like these that cement an actor's status as being one of the greats of their time. Michael Fassbender's performance as Brandon is a truly unforgettable character because of all the subtle nuances he gives to the character. He performs in such a way that you really feel like the character is alive and you want to watch for every facial expression and word he speaks to uncover all the individual layers that make the character who they are. You want to find out what is behind them, what drives them, what torments them, and everything in between. That is the performance he gives and it is nothing short of brilliance, cementing him as one of the best actors of this era who will be remembered for decades to come.

Carey Mulligan's performance as Sissy is also fascinating in itself. Much like Fassbender's performance, it never gives all the details. Her character is rather elusive, but is quite fragile and running away from her own demons, as demonstrated by scars on her arms and her own risque forays into sexual escapades. Though, unlike Brandon, her sexual encounters are perhaps filled with too much emotion and attachment for people who do not reciprocate such feelings. But she is much more fragile and has far greater difficulty hiding her deepest torments, especially as she tries to reconnect with her emotionally distant brother.

Their chemistry is fascinating and believable as two tormented souls clash with each other and their lives slowly come apart as those torments come boiling to the surface. The other performances are solid, but it's the two leads that give Shame the tormented, heart-broken, and fragile emotional power that it has.

As a drama it is gripping and certainly not for the faint of heart, as emotional reactions from viewers is likely to be rather divisive. Some will be gripped in the throes of its harrowing drama, others will dismiss it as pornography and call it vile trash masquerading as art, and some may even be titillated by the sexual elements. I found it sexy at times, yes, but it was also tremendously gripping and emotionally harrowing to watch, and I was eager to dig into these enigmatic and ambiguous characters to see what was lying beneath their complex, multiple layers. There is a lot going on here on emotional, psychological, and intellectual levels, in my opinion. It also has to be one of the most insightful commentaries on sex compared to most other films, in my opinion.

Shame is absolutely brilliant in my opinion. If you are a fan of drama, I urge you to see it to give it a chance. It won't be easy to watch sometimes, and I make no guarantees that you will like it, but it is something that must be seen so that it can be discussed and interpreted. It asks you to dig deep, even into yourself, to take a look at one of humanity's most controversial but most natural primal elements and to make you think about it in every way - emotionally, psychologically, and personally. It hits you hard and never lets go until the end, though even after that point, Shame will stay with you for a long time.