Review of Shame (2011) by Soraya B — 14 Jan 2013

Unflinchingly candid, raw and devastatingly poignant; Shame speaks to my gut and leaves me in ruins. Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan deliver exquisite performances; portraying the co-dependent relationship which fuels the progression of the story.

Superficially, the outwardly-successful Brandon (Fassbender) and the unstable Sissy (Mulligan) seem to oppose each other in terms of their lives and personae, but throughout the film it is hinted that they share a very dark past, from which a dysfunctional bond was forged.

Both characters unravel with violent momentum. The assumed sex addiction of Fassbender's character means that at times the audience assumes a voyeuristic role as we witness the mechanisms and extremes of his addiction.

It felt as though McQueen did not want the nudity to appear sexy or arousing; there is a sadness in Fassbender's character during these sexual encounters which is extremely palpable. There are people out there who feel that the nudity is excessive; I would challenge these people as to how much of the film they actually understood.

The beauty of this film is that it does not necessarily dictate how you should interpret it; McQueen successfully invites the audience to ponder Brandon's future in the closed-mouthed final scene.

In my back-row seat, Shame left me feeling drained and undressed; it reflexively forced me to contemplate my life and particularly in Sissy, I found a large chunk of myself reflected back at me. Shame tortured me for over 90 minutes, yet perhaps sadistically I keep coming back for more!