Review of Shame (2011) by Georgeblomme — 08 Jan 2012

I wish I could give this movie a good rating. Its starts with a fairly handsome guy, nicely built in all proportions, who is a sex addict. Sometimes he gets what he wants (always friendly; this guy does not rape), but on other occasions he cannot produce.

His sister lives with him, and she appears to be on the verge of suicide from Day One, making this film complicated and dark. The guy, who suddenly seems to have lost interest and or ability to perform sex, plus put up with the antics of his sister, walks endlessly through the night streets of Manhattan, or jogs and jogs, or rides half-filled, old newspaper-littered subway trains endlessly.

These scenes where he's losing himself, or possibly trying to find a way out of sexual addiction go on and on -- making this 1-hour, 45-minute film seem like a 5-hour ride on a dirty subway train. There are good street shots of Manhattan, but at the now-famous Standard hotel on the High Line, they miss the opportunity to have the woman bracing herself against the picture glass picture windows while being pumped from behind - something that supposedly happens regularly in real life every night - much to the delight of High Line voyeurs.

Why does the film shy away from the big window scenes - maybe a nod to hotel management's requests? Go see, but I think you may be disappointed too.