Shame is
a brilliant drama written in part and directed by Steve McQueen and
starring Michael Fassbender as Brandon, an every-day New Yorker who has
an addiction to sex. His lack of control over his urges comes to a head
(really, no pun intended) when his sister Sissy (played by Carey Mulligan) drops in for a visit.
Where Brandon is repressed, keeping inside all emotion and navigating
life in neat grey sweaters and black slacks and living in his neat and
sparse apartment, Sissy literally wears her pain on her wrists, cries a
lot, and is loud, messy and indiscreet. We never learn why Brandon is
so repressed and incapable of emotional connection or why Sissy is so
sad and suicidal. In an effort to console Brandon, after accidentally
learning of his struggle with sex, Sissy tells him that they are good
people from a bad place. That’s the only clue we have for the source of
their pain. And McQueen does not really let us know whether these
characters truly get over whatever it is. At the height of Brandon’s
character arc, however, he breaks down in tears in the middle of the
street and we know, at least, there is a wealth of human emotion behind
his stoic facade. And the siblings are survivors, even if they fail to
slay their demons. A well-acted, compelling film in its quiet nuances.
Note that the movie is rated NC-17 for graphic sex and nudity.
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