Plot
In New York City, Brandon's carefully cultivated private life -- which allows him to indulge his sexual addiction -- is disrupted when his sister Sissy arrives unannounced for an indefinite stay.
Release Year: 2011
Rating: 7.9/10 (10,657 voted)
Critic's Score: 72/100
Director:
Steve McQueen
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale
Storyline Brandon is a 30-something man living in New York who is unable to manage his sex life. After his wayward younger sister moves into his apartment, Brandon's world spirals out of control. From director Steve McQueen (Hunger), Shame is a compelling and timely examination of the nature of need, how we live our lives and the experiences that shape us.
Writers: Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen
Cast: Michael Fassbender
-
Brandon Sullivan
Lucy Walters
-
Woman on Subway Train
Mari-Ange Ramirez
-
Alexa
James Badge Dale
-
David Fisher
Nicole Beharie
-
Marianne
Alex Manette
-
Steven
Hannah Ware
-
Samantha
Elizabeth Masucci
-
Elizabeth
Rachel Farrar
-
Rachel
Loren Omer
-
Loren
Carey Mulligan
-
Sissy Sullivan
Lauren Tyrrell
-
Hostess
Marta Milans
-
Cocktail Waitress
Jake Richard Siciliano
-
Skype Son
(as Jake Siciliano)
Robert Montano
-
Waiter
Filming Locations: 28th Street Subway Station, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $6,500,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $349,519
(USA)
(4 December 2011)
(10 Screens)
Gross: $3,735,075
(USA)
(19 February 2012)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
In the very last shot of the film where Brandon looks at the woman on the subway train, the subway ad of a church called The River NYC is prominently featured behind him. This is actually the church Carey Mulligan attends whenever she is in New York City.
Goofs:
Errors in geography:
When the subway train is stopped and evacuated, we see the station sign outside it and the station begins with a B (Brooklyn Bridge?). But when Brandon gets off the train there, he is at the 28th Street station.
Quotes: Sissy Sullivan:
We're not bad people. We just come from a bad place.
User Review
An expertly crafted and shocking film that will divide audiences
Rating: 8/10
Despite having never seen Steve McQueen's Hunger, the smouldering and
sensational acclaim for Shame was simply unreal. Having heard terrific
things about the film, I ventured out and snagged a last minute ticket
to the premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Weeks
later, I am still trying to decipher what may be one of the most
shocking and raw films I have seen in quite some time.
The titular Shame in question is what Brandon (Michael Fassbender), a
posh yuppie living in New York City, must live with every day. He is a
sex addict, and his addiction knows no bounds. His estranged sister
Sissy (Carey Mulligan) has also just dropped by his apartment for an
extended stay, making things all the worse.
The plot may not sound like much, because there really is not all that
much to it storywise. Shame is more of a portrait of a man struggling
with his inner demons than it is anything else. There is a story at its
very core, but the primary focus is always on Brandon, his addiction
and what boundaries and limits it pushes him to. I had read about some
of the more "unconventional" and decidedly non-mainstream sexual
escapades (for lack of a better word) Brandon gets himself into, but I
was still incredibly surprised and downright shocked by just how far
McQueen goes with this character. He is brazen and uninhibited in what
he shows on screen, bravely defying the conventions of what we
typically can and cannot see in mainstream cinema. McQueen does not shy
away from hard truths, and does not even try to mask the explicit
nature of some of the sexual acts. Seeing how far Brandon will go to
satisfy and suppress himself is simply harrowing, not unlike films like
Trainspotting and Requiem for a Dream were with their characters' drug
addictions.
While the film and its frank depiction of sexuality are sometimes
difficult to watch, I found myself mesmerized by the choreography and
cinematography at play throughout. McQueen frames the film with the
audience in the position of a voyeur. Early on, we see Brandon's
morning routine, featuring Fassbender roaming around his chic apartment
totally naked. We see him at his most honest and his most vulnerable, a
man who is unable to hide the truth about himself. Later, we watch him
as he interacts with his office co-workers from behind huge glass
windows, and from a table across from him at a restaurant while he is
on a date. McQueen uses a lot of unbroken shots to help depict this
slice of Brandon's life through tracking shots and an immense amount of
long shots. They help set the very somber mood, and allow the audience
to continue watching as if they were an actual character peering into
the events that transpire for him. McQueen also expertly uses music to
help dictate the action on screen, tearing away the dialogue or sounds
of the scene. It makes for an awkward feeling, but one that evokes a
response with every new scene.
But for all of the shock and audacity, McQueen still managed to make a
deeply troubled film that leaves a lot unsaid, and even more
unresolved. He does not give out simple answers for what causes
Brandon's addiction, or even the reasoning behind the troubled and
strained relationship between Brandon and Sissy. While leaving some
things enigmatic and up to the viewers to decide (many have already
voiced their concerns regarding incest, which seem a bit too outrageous
for this kind of film) is incredibly intriguing and help further propel
the voyeuristic means of viewing the film, it also makes for maddening
thoughts afterwards. What exactly is McQueen trying to say? What is the
point he is trying to make? It all feels like it builds towards nothing
outside of an unsatisfying and deludingly ambiguous climax. As
mentioned earlier, it feels like the story and just about everything
else came second to the portrait he wanted to paint through
Fassbender's canvas. I can appreciate the film as it is, but it makes
it hard to love it the way I thought I would.
Fassbender is stunning as Brandon, magnetizing the audience from the
beginning all the way to the end. He propels the film, using his
reactions and emotions to define the character. He makes Brandon's
struggle one that is very real, and almost horrific. He is unable to
feel intimacy, and watching him struggle to fulfill his urges is
fascinating and deeply disturbing all at once. Watching his face
through candid closeups, you can see just how much raw power went into
the role. But while it is a stellar and tortured performance that more
than proves his weight as an up and coming actor, I never found him to
be nearly as incredibly impressive as we know he can be. I still find
myself at odds with how great it was, and how much greater it could
have been.
While James Badge Dale is effective in his small role as Brandon's
smarmy and sleazy boss David, it is Mulligan who truly compliments
Fassbender. Her role does not ask a whole lot of her, but her pained
expressions and infinite desire to be loved by everyone is more than
enough to make this a memorable turn for her. While the full frontal
nudity was near useless, I only wish that she could have done more.
Shame is a very well done film, but one that will divide audiences. On
one hand, it is an expertly crafted film about addiction that packs a
great lead performance. On the other hand, it is a maddening film that
answers very little it asks and sometimes shocks just for the sake of
it. It is an impressive feat for a second feature, but one that I think
could have been even better.
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