I don’t need no lasso
I don’t need no ball and chain
I don’t need anything with you
Such a shame, shame, shame
Shame, shame, shame
Shame is the shadow of love
–PJ Harvey
Steve McQueen’s unflinching look at sexual addiction and what drives it is the subject of this startlingly moving film, which had its premier in Venice but played here in Telluride yesterday. The film stars Michael Fassbender as a successful but isolated businessman who relies on porn, prostitutes and masturbation in place of real intimacy. He can’t get close to anyone but he can have pseudo closeness. It’s not all that far from Thomas Haden Church in Sideways, “you don’t understand my plight.” But in Sideways it was never really examined so closely. In Shame, the character is running from past emotional damage; he’s doing whatever it takes to rub out whatever that was, driving him deeper into his addiction.
Shame will work better for you if you’ve ever dipped your head in, or had any contact with the kind of high risk behavior that goes with sexual addiction. Sex addicts know, as with every addiction, you have to keep upping the cost, upping the risk, moving beyond what becomes the new normal. But even if you aren’t or have never been a sex addict and have only ventured into the world of high risk behavior either online or in real life, you still might be able to understand, if nothing else, his misery.
Fassbender is beyond brilliant in the part. He digs more deeply into torments he only hints at in A Dangerous Method. What is remarkable and true about his work here is that his facial expression does not change, particularly, until his inner world starts to expose itself. That includes how he looks when he looks at porn, how he looks when he has sex with a hooker, or hits on a woman on the subway: he is a predator with a single goal in mind – satisfaction. His power as this kind of hit man is profoundly felt when he’s spiraling downward and he hits on a woman in a bar. What he says to her, how he owns her completely by telling her things most people just never hear, asking about her boyfriend, “does he go down on you? I do that. I like to do that.” Before long, his unwitting victim is ready to go anywhere with him, do anything for him. Oh, this part is so easy. But it’s the other part, it’s the “sex with someone you care about” that is the more difficult.
Carey Mulligan is a key figure but you have to do a little detective work to figure out why – and perhaps, in the end, it is a matter of interpretation. But her own desperation, similar to her brother’s, leads her to no end of misery. Mulligan, naked emotionally and physically, is disturbing as the main character’s needy and pathetic sister. While she might not be a full blown sex addict she is certainly drawn to false intimacy in much the same way. She’s looking to be rescued, like so many damaged women out there, and you just know it’s never going to end pretty. The relationship between these two hints at something darker. We are left to make our own assumptions about that. Is there nothing Mulligan can’t do? Every performance she turns out is different, but fully realized. She is already such an accomplished and adept performer at such a young age.
No doubt most of us have either been the perp or the victim in these kinds of scenarios. When it’s all over with you don’t really feel better because it isn’t the sex part that you remember. It’s the emotional connection. Sex without emotion can be satisfying if it’s good enough, dirty enough, subversive enough – but it is so much better when it’s sex with someone you love. I think this is true of women as with men. Funnily enough, this is the message of Shame — which doesn’t judge its main character’s “plight” so much as it sympathizes with it: you know that hole can’t be filled so easily. Addiction is always going to lead, ultimately, to emptiness and dissatisfaction.
The long takes are hard to get used to and are distracting, but there is one sequence in this film that is so otherworldly, so beautifully shot that I think it’s best bit of cinema, just those ten minutes or so, than I’ve seen all year. No, not everyone is going to “like” this movie. But those who do will love it. It’s interesting that it reminded me more of a Cronenberg film than the film Cronenberg brought here himself. Carey Mulligan once again turns in yet another masterful performance. She is endlessly surprising in what she turns out.
Of all of the films I’ve seen here, Shame is the one that will probably hover in my psyche for a long time, maybe for the rest of my life. This is partly because McQueen is arriving at something I’ve not seen addressed in films, not this way. But also because of how brilliantly the three main forces work together – that’s Fassbender, Carey Mulligan and director McQueen. Shame is, to my mind, a master work, perhaps even a masterpiece.
If this gets wide distribution – and I hope it does – I can only hope that edits aren’t necessary for people to get to see this.
If this gets wide distribution – and I hope it does – I can only hope that edits aren’t necessary for people to get to see this.
Thank you for an insightful review. I’m an avid fan of Fassbender. Fingers crossed for distribution and a smart Best Actor campaign.
Thank you for an insightful review. I’m an avid fan of Fassbender. Fingers crossed for distribution and a smart Best Actor campaign.
I was in a museum in Düsseldorf (Germany) this weekend and saw one of McQueen’s video art-installations there…. The thing I noticed about it was that he played with the how the audience felt things (the atmosphere) then again… what (video-)artist doesn’t…. Here’s a question: Are artists (as in people who make art) better observers than directors (in a way)?
I was in a museum in Düsseldorf (Germany) this weekend and saw one of McQueen’s video art-installations there…. The thing I noticed about it was that he played with the how the audience felt things (the atmosphere) then again… what (video-)artist doesn’t…. Here’s a question: Are artists (as in people who make art) better observers than directors (in a way)?
I hope we get to see this film soon. With all the good reviews for this film, I’m really intrigue about this one.
I hope we get to see this film soon. With all the good reviews for this film, I’m really intrigue about this one.
Great review Sasha! I will be seeing ‘Shame’ next weekend at TIFF along with ‘Dangerous Method’. I’m pleased that the overall reviews of Shame have been extremely positive, but due to the nature of the film, those who don’t like it and letting us know. I fear that spineless US distributors will shy away from this brave film primarily due to the full frontal nudity of Michael Fassbender. Female nudity is dime a dozen, I’m sorry to say (thanks to the film industry). But add the graphic mechanical sex scenes and a nude male – I just hope a distributor supports this film and releases it by years end so that Fassbender can get the recognition, in more ways than one, that he deserves. I’m so proud to call myself a Fassbender fan for over several years now.
Great review Sasha! I will be seeing ‘Shame’ next weekend at TIFF along with ‘Dangerous Method’. I’m pleased that the overall reviews of Shame have been extremely positive, but due to the nature of the film, those who don’t like it and letting us know. I fear that spineless US distributors will shy away from this brave film primarily due to the full frontal nudity of Michael Fassbender. Female nudity is dime a dozen, I’m sorry to say (thanks to the film industry). But add the graphic mechanical sex scenes and a nude male – I just hope a distributor supports this film and releases it by years end so that Fassbender can get the recognition, in more ways than one, that he deserves. I’m so proud to call myself a Fassbender fan for over several years now.
When I read the script, I couldn’t help but feel that it was insinuating at past incest between the brother and the sister. Does the film carry that?
When I read the script, I couldn’t help but feel that it was insinuating at past incest between the brother and the sister. Does the film carry that?
rub out?
well, I guess that fits
rub out?
well, I guess that fits
Seems such an interesting movie that I hope that they manage to get it distributed here in the US. Apparently it has been rated as NC-17 and McQueen doesn’t want to do any edit to it, so we will see. Fassy is becoming such an incredible actor and Hunger was just magnificent that it will be unfortunate if we don’t get to see this one.
Seems such an interesting movie that I hope that they manage to get it distributed here in the US. Apparently it has been rated as NC-17 and McQueen doesn’t want to do any edit to it, so we will see. Fassy is becoming such an incredible actor and Hunger was just magnificent that it will be unfortunate if we don’t get to see this one.
Fassbender is gonna get overexposed quick
Fassbender is gonna get overexposed quick
This may seem like a silly question, but how was the cinematography? That’s one of the things I loved about Hunger, and it’s partly the reason why I’d want to watch another Steve McQueen film.
This may seem like a silly question, but how was the cinematography? That’s one of the things I loved about Hunger, and it’s partly the reason why I’d want to watch another Steve McQueen film.
I’m a Fassbender fan and thought that ‘A Dangerous Method’ was going to be his best of the year. However the more reviews I read about ‘Shame’ the more I want to see it. I admit that I initially dismissed it as just a sex movie but it seems to be more than that. Of course Carey Mulligan is a great actress so I shouldn’t have been so quick to write this movie off. Thanks for writing such a terrific review, I will pass it on to friends.
I’m a Fassbender fan and thought that ‘A Dangerous Method’ was going to be his best of the year. However the more reviews I read about ‘Shame’ the more I want to see it. I admit that I initially dismissed it as just a sex movie but it seems to be more than that. Of course Carey Mulligan is a great actress so I shouldn’t have been so quick to write this movie off. Thanks for writing such a terrific review, I will pass it on to friends.
I want to see this so badly.
Any word on possible distribution?
I want to see this so badly.
Any word on possible distribution?
Good job, Sasha!
I am obssesed with this film. I want to see it now!
Good job, Sasha!
I am obssesed with this film. I want to see it now!
Sounds like it’s been somewhat of a polarizing film so far. And one that will be damn near impossible to sell to distributors. I hope this film finds a release soon, cause it sounds like the kind of challenging adult cinema that there can never be enough of.
I’m seriously lacking some McQueen in my cinematic library.
Sounds like it’s been somewhat of a polarizing film so far. And one that will be damn near impossible to sell to distributors. I hope this film finds a release soon, cause it sounds like the kind of challenging adult cinema that there can never be enough of.
I’m seriously lacking some McQueen in my cinematic library.
Wow it sounds pretty incredible. Fassbender is one of my favourite actors around so really looking forward to catching this!
Wow it sounds pretty incredible. Fassbender is one of my favourite actors around so really looking forward to catching this!
i hope this film gains traction. it sounds fascinating.
i hope this film gains traction. it sounds fascinating.