Shame directed by Steve McQueen; released in 2011

Words can’t explain the underlying sense of need in this film, from the outset, you are introduced to Brandon (Michael Fassbender), a man stuck in an ongoing world of sex, porn and masturbation. Each day is a struggle for him, as not only does he have sex addiction but also has to cope with talking to women who is unable to have sex with. The film’s title could have many meanings, firstly, the shame Brandon feels everyday when fighting his sexual urges, his feelings towards other people who are missing out on a life of sex or the most saddening factor in this film, his obvious untold love for his sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan). I believe he carries out his sexual urges due to the fact he is unable to have sex with the one person he can’t, this may be totally wrong but her wanting to impress him and the shocking ending to the film seem to suggest this. An outstanding performance from Michael Fassbender was reminiscent of Ryan Gosling’s performance in Drive, also released in 2011. The film has many comparisons to Drive e.g. the singular lead character wanting to live in solitude and perform when need-be, delivered much success in a great year for cinema. Michael Fassbender’s performance has been greatly heralded and after seeing this film for the first time, I can now see why, he totally gives himself to the role and you are unsure of whether or not his life is a godsend or a curse throughout. Another great highlight of this film is the great use of single held shots during a scene, which really adds to the sense of reality and how much of a struggle this sort of life would be. Carey Mulligan’s performance as Brandon’s underachieving and unreliable sister enables the film to explore the way in which siblings deal with each other’s twisted lives. The film is gripping throughout and has similarities to Quentin Tarantino films, in the fact that each scene is more important that the last in terms of explaining the plot and real need to know what is going to happen next for each character. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would recommend it to anybody stuck with sex addiction, fans of Steve McQueen and anyone needing to get away and see how it is to live with a burden.

9/10