Review of Shame (2011) by Cahjli S — 23 Mar 2013

WARNING: While not explicit, per se...this review does touch on some subject matter some folks might simply not want to read about. I don't mean to offend anyone, but there's no way to review the movie otherwise, in my opinion.

SHAME has been called the "movie about the sex addict" and this is a rather unfair over-simplification. It also implies that there might be lots of juicy sex scenes, especially given its NC-17 rating. If THIS is what you're expecting, you are in for a disappointment.

Director Steve McQueen's film is a character study of one very specific sex addict, Brandon (Michael Fassbender). And I'm not even sure if Brandon is a sex addict or something different. He is certainly a man driven to spending virtually all his spare time (and much of his time at work) viewing porn and pleasuring himself. He spends lots of money on prostitutes. He is also attractive enough to draw yearning from women looking for a good time and a quickie in an alley (literally at one point). But NONE of these activities give him any pleasure whatsoever. In fact, he seems to suffer a psychic pain at his despair in not truly drawing any pleasure from his compulsions. I read one review in which the viewer describes him as a "monster." I felt much the opposite...he is a creature to be pitied. Having said that, I felt pity mostly because we saw everything from Brandon's perspective. Not much attention is paid to the damage he may be causing others (with one key exception, which I'll discuss below)...therefore, we see HIS torment and HIS unhappiness and HIS damage. It's hard not to feel sorry for him, even as we're repulsed by his activities. This is a smart guy who knows better...but his self-knowledge only makes him hate himself more...it does not curtail his destructive activities.

Brandon's specific damage is linked to the damage his sister carries (Carey Mulligan). She, too, is looking for love and is deeply unhappy. When she moves, unasked, into Brandon's spartan NYC apartment, she is an interloper on his privacy, but more importantly, she reignites unhealthy feelings each shares for the other. They are very open with each other about their bodies (there is a long scene where the two have a heated exchange which she stands naked in the shower, and makes no effort to cover). They give each other longing looks. They've clearly both been damaged by events in their childhoods, and this has created a strong but very unhealthy bond between the two. Brandon senses it more than she, but his efforts to push her away are damaging to both of them.

SHAME is a well-crafted film. There are many interesting shots. In one, Brandon is running down an avenue, and the camera tracks him for several blocks, in one long take. In another scene, Brandon and a co-worker are on a first date at a restaurant, and one long shot captures the first several minutes of the date...from amusing encounters with the waiter to telling moments of conversation. It's a fascinating and engaging scene that a viewer will either find riveting (because so many little moments are so telling) or dull as can be (because they talk about so little and the camera is so still). And there's another scene in which Brandon's sister sings a VERY slow version of "New York, New York" in a nightclub, while Brandon listens. The torment they each express is gripping, and with almost no words (beyond the lyrics of the song) we learn an awful lot about their relationship.

Mulligan is outstanding in her role, and she should be in the Oscar conversation. She exposes herself physically in unflattering ways, but is heartbreaking as well. Fassbender is riveting as well. His performance is daring in that he has totally committed to this pitiable, unlikeable role in such a way that after just over ninety minutes, we feel we know Brandon about as well as we have ever known a movie character. We don't know the facts of his past, or quite what he does for a living. But we know his pain. We see how his mind works. Yes, there's also full frontal...but that seems less brave than the anguish he puts himself through.

The sex in the film is actually not a whole lot more explicit than what you'd see in an R-rated movie. It's the casual nudity in other scenes that got the NC-17 rating. But none of it is titillating or erotic. This is a movie that shows sex is not only NOT a substitute for meaningful human contact but can actually destroy goodness, ambition, empathy and humanity. Sobering stuff.

SHAME is a well-made film, extremely well acted, that will absolutely turn off most viewers. This is not to say that someone only "sophisticated" viewers or "daring" viewers will like it. I admired it greatly, but didn't enjoy it. It shows ugly, unpleasant things happening...even if you aren't bored by the slow pace, you might be greatly put-off by the subject matter or the view of humanity it posits. I'd say "see it," but if you hate it...don't blame me for wasting your time. I've probably not seen a film that is more of a "viewer beware...you may both LOVE and HATE this film at the same time" since BLUE VELVET.