Review of Shame (2011) by Priyu K — 19 Oct 2014

Featuring a critically acclaimed performance from Michael Fassbender and directed by Steve McQueen, Shame sounded like a strong collaboration of gritty talent.

As neither of the Nymphomaniac films ended up being that insightful into the mind of a sex addict, Shame was the film I had hoped would be what Nymphomaniac: Vol.1 & 2 failed to be. It wasn't as truly complex or meaningful as I had hoped, but there is clearly a lot of strength in Shame because of the complex nature of its subject matter. Steve McQueen is a film director who is not scared to explore all kinds of grim material, and it is doing that which recently scored him the Academy Award for Best Picture for the film 12 Years a Slave. Shame doesn't precisely scale that kind of spectacle or experience because Shame is a much more simple film which is very character-driven and smaller in scale. Its ambitions are largely to be an exploration of the psyche experienced by a man with serious sex addiction as it affects his life. Thanks to Steve McQueen's prime direction, the film comes together really well as a whole despite having a few flaws, and he anchors the film very well.

When it comes to male nudity on films, I have a certain passion for it. I believe the human body is a beautiful thing that should be expressed freely, but male nudity in films is a very shady thing. With Shame, there is plenty of it. It takes no time before audiences witness Michael Fassbender's genitals, and there is not an exploitive focus on it. As a whole, Shame works as a fearless exploration of sexual addiction and the complex psyche of protagonist Brandon Sullivan which never hides anything and is not scared to reveal every inch of his body. And although it does not prove to be as insightful as it could have been or as complex, it still served as powerfully dramatic entertainment. Shame incures some strong imagery which is captured with very stylish cinematography which is also edited well and then played out against the backdrop of a firm musical score which strengthens the drama in the film at a few times.

The atmosphere in Shame is very grim. Everything in the film is so naturally dramatic that it rarely requires dramatization, and yet when it does the power of the film goes even further, so the dramatic strength of the film is good. Although it is a film where not too much happens and when it does it all occurs at a very slow pace, the film does remain an interesting one mainly because of the ground that it covers. Shame mercilessly explores the harsh reality of sex addiction with insight and reality without ever going at it on a melodramatic angle. The drama is on a really good level and it explores the concept through interesting characters and the complex relationship shared between Brandon Sullivan and his sister Sissy. There were a lot of interesting concepts explored in the film, although admittedly they weren't all tied up by the end of the feature due to it having a certain sense of ambiguity to it. As a whole it is all good, but there are times where Shame feels like it could have gone a bit deeper. But it is most definetely a very intelligently scripted film which has some interesting situations to it as well as dialogue which is consistently strong. Steve McQueen gives brilliant handling to the screenplay that he and Abi Morgan had crafted together, and so he is easily able to create an interesting film out of the material. Steve McQueen reminds viewers just what makes him such an impressive filmmaker in Shame with another return to top quality gritty form after his acclaimed debut on Hunger. And even though the film is not always entertaining, its themes are thought provoking and it is more than intelligent enough to pass as entertainment. Steve McQueen is even able to bring out the finest acting out of his stars.

Michael Fassbender's leading performance in Shame is just brilliant. As the film focuses around him, a very strong performance is required. And without fear, that is exactly what he delivers. Michael Fassbender is simply spot on in the role because he is very physically involved in the role which allows him to flourish naturally in the part and he delivers all of his lines with a very realistic level of emotion in him. He makes a really humane figure out of Brandon Sullivan who is both intimidating and sympathetic which makes him an intruging lead, and the complex mind that the character faces is chronicled very well by both the film's screenplay and Michael Fassbender's performance. He anchors the heart of the film very well and makes it an insightful one because his involvement in the part is a raw display of human emotion. Michael Fassbender never goes overboard in Shame because his performance is both strong and yet subtle in a certain fashion which gives it an ideal level of realism to work the material. His leading performance is just excellent and shows just how incredibly he can work with Steve McQueen.

Carey Mulligan's performance is also a very nice touch. While her amount of screentime was not precisely as much as I was hoping for, her efforts in the film are obvious. Carey Mulligan's performance is a bold and ambitious one where she makes an easily likable character out of Sissy Sullivan. As the well-intentined sister of the protagonist, Sissy Sullivan is key to how Brandon Sullivan develops as a character, and she is a welcome presence whenever she is on screen in Shame because she has a natural spirit to her, both humane and dramatic which makes her a great character. Her performance is a fearless step forward for her and is consistently strong which makes her a pivotal part of the film's success. Carey Mulligan is just great in Shame, and it is a strong step forward for her career.

So although Shame is a rather slow film which isn't as interesting as it could have been and suffers from much ambiguity in terms of context, it is an atmospheric and stylish film which boasts excellent directorial work from Steve McQueen and strong performances from Carey Mulligan and especially Michael Fassbender.