Film Review: Shame

It probably doesn't look like it from first glance, but I struggled to find an appropriate title for this review. I wondered whether a witty wordplay would fit the bill; then, clips from the film came flooding back and I realised that this sort of film is too serious for light remarks. Although extremely heavy, 'Shame' is a remarkably executed story, delving into the darkest of places in a sex addict's day-to-day, played along to unsettling classical music and shocking imagery. This sort of shock-inspiring sensory antitheses always plays on the mind, and makes the viewer feel uncomfortable and confused. As a viewer, we intend to sympathise with a character and stick by their side; this film leaves us somewhere in no man's land, not knowing where to look or what to think, or what to make of the character's motives.

Michael Fassbender, playing Brandon, the archetypal New York nouveau riche stock brocker, seems ordinary on the outside, and fits the persona of a successful man who is single and alone by choice. His sister Sissy, played by Carey Mulligan, drops by every so often in his life, and once she does, she unintentionally (to a certain extent) causes a storm. For once there is something which clashes against Brandon's perfectly orchestrated life. As a consequence, he tosses judgement and blame on her, at the very opportune moment when she is the most vulnerable and dependent.

A lot of Shame is composed of long, dreary shots. One of the longest scenes imaginable is played out when Sissy performs her rendition of 'New York, New York.' Futher to this, when Brandon goes out for a jog, his run is documented through a long panning shot, lasting for what feels like three minutes. In contract, the rest of the film happens in brief snaps. Every sexual encounter, apart from one, is quick and meaningless. Because of it's brief nature, we start taking it for granted, as Brandon does. However, the most explicit these scenes are, the more prevalent is a weird sense of (almost) voyeurism, which certainly isn't pleasant. Neither is the very slight thread of optimism which keeps getting pulled from underneath our feet.

Steve McQueen did the story and subject matter justice by not overstating or simplifying anything, and in terms of the story (written by both Abi Morgan and Steve McQueen), he exposed us to a constant degrading and downwards escalation of the main character, with a few unexpected sharp turns which took us by surprise. Overall, the best parts of Shame are due to great performances, both by Carey Mulligan and Fassbender. If not for his acting, Michael Fassbender deserves an accolade for the extent to which he make himself a nude human puppet. The challenge of being a dramatic actor within very exploitative, pornographic scenes, must be recognised one way or another.

*SPOILER ALERT* I think what I liked best about the film is watching the story between Brandon and Marianne. Like Sissy, Marianne offers an alternative choice to the usual one-dimensional physical need that Brandon naturally manipulates people into wanting. Even when we are witnessing them perform (well, almost) the same physical act that Brandon repeats with so many others, this scene is different, and somehow feels more intimate.