Movie Review: Shame (2011)

January 23, 2012 / Leave a Comment

SHAME

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
MARCH 18, 2013

“Shame” is the story of a conflicted man. Whether you label it sex addiction or unattainable desire, Brendan (Michael Fassbender) lives a life engulfed in sex. Brendan needs an intervention with a constant stream of sexual partners, a skewed view of monogamy, and hard drives full of smut. As you look at the face of Michael Fassbender, who indeed commands this role, you would assume he is simply a confident and sophisticated individual taking advantage of what those traits can bring. As the film progresses, you realize that Brendan seeks out this lifestyle and cannot escape his unending libido.

When his sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), unexpectedly moves in, Brendan’s world comes into question. He can no longer masturbate whenever or wherever he desires. He has to venture to extravagant hotels for his sexual conquests. And his aggression rises to an all-time high. You start to realize Brendan is trapped in this sexual world, closing his family out to pursue a life of solitude. His mother calls him, begging him to answer, and his sister is worried that if she leaves, she’ll never see him again.

The long, lingering shots on Fassbender are captivating, with solid scores beefing up the background. These scores set the different moods of the film, somewhere between a John Williams score for a Spielberg picture and the deep, rich jazz of a fancy nightclub.

“Shame” earns its NC-17 rating with a drawn-out ménage à trois and blatant graphic sex scenes, not to mention constant full-frontal male nudity equally countered with plenty of nude scenes all the cast, including Carey Mulligan baring all. Thankfully, none of this takes away from the film and only adds to the sexual nature of the plot. “Shame” is not a film you would want to sit through with family members. However, look past the film’s explicitness, and you encounter one of the most contemplative films of the year.