Shame

UK Release: 13th January 2012

Watched on DVD: Wednesday 30th January 2013

Rating: 18

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 1hr 41mins

IMDb Plot Synopsis: 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. Shame examines the nature of need, how we live our lives and the experiences that shape us.

My Review: Ever since this first came out I was looking forward to seeing it due to all the positive reviews, the fact Carey Mulligan stars in it and that beautiful film poster! Almost a year later I finally got my hands on the DVD and got to take a look for myself to see if it lived up to all the hype. 

Obviously it got so much attention in the first place due to it’s taboo subject matter of sexual addiction and I was actually surprised at how little sexual content there was after all the discussion about it. There was much more of a focus on Michael Fassbender’s character, Brandon, and the struggles surrounding him; a lot of it was implied. What hit me from the very beginning was how intense the film was. It’s one of those films with very little dialogue and instead a lot of great dynamic shots and long close ups of the leads, so you feel like you really get inside Brandon’s head. Things got a lot more interesting when Mulligan showed up and I think without her it may have been a little dull. She plays Brandon’s sister and as soon as she arrives the film shifts a little and you see a completely different side to Brandon. You get the sense of something deeper between them, not quite right, and there are many theories online of what that might be, which may also explain Brandon’s sex addiction. However, if you take it for what it is it was a very intense look at these people’s lives. The film looks and sounds fantastic but the plot itself was not very strong. It’s much more of a character study and you have to work hard to see all the layers to it. I still don’t quite know whether I actually liked it or not. The whole film comes with a sense of discomfort and it is definitely an atmospheric film more than a content one. But I’d recommend it if you go in prepared. For the performances alone, it is worth a look.

Score: 8/10