Review of Shame (2011) by Enrica C — 30 Dec 2012

"Shame" just got me. I had to watch it three times over the last year to get to this conclusion, but this is it. This movie is a crazy ride I love to be on: you have to read between lines to get its full meaning but I got to say I just like its premises and the way they are developed in the movie. The fact is that all the characters involved in the movie are extremely interesting, intriguing and involving: why do they do what they do? How did they end up being so messed up? What's going on in their heads? All the answers are there, but they're not spoken out loud. So you just have to watch and let yourself being absorbed by the story.

"Shame" is really slow and unconventional. I always appreciate long takes and in this case I thought they were very appropriate: I think my favourite scene was that amazing dialogue on the sofa between Brandon and Sissy. Those were 5 amazingly executed minutes, the dialogue was great and acting even better. I'm really impressed by Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan's work: the tension, the unspoken words between those two siblings. They just helped creating the right atmosphere, put the seed of doubt out there. At the end of the movie I was left with a very distinctive feeling and for some reason I would have liked to watch again right away. I just loved the "New York, New York" song scene, and the running scene, and the open ending.

There's a meaning, a hidden message that's very difficult to get because it's very abstract, but I think it somehow manages to picture nowadays society and its being lost. Brandon isn't capable of establish a stable relationship with someone, he's just seeking sex (he's indeed a sex addict), for some reason he can't get along with his sister and the result is that no matter how physically close to another human being he can get: he's really lonely and there's nothing he can do about it.

Steve McQueen wrote a great screenplay and directed a great movie. So I say go for it. Give it a try. This is one of those movie you'll either love or hate but you'll never know unless you try. One of the best movies of 2011. Recommended.