During a heated argument, sex-addicted Brandon (Michael Fassbender) informs his love-addicted sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) that “acts count, not words.” Even so, Brandon’s near-constant sexual acts mean nothing to him, nor do Sissy’s frequently uttered words, “I love you” mean anything to her.
We’re talking about two severely damaged people here. A brother and sister with attachment disorders so deeply ingrained and sexual behavior so inappropriate, we can only guess at what their troubled early family life in Ireland must have been like. He can’t attach to anyone; she can’t detach. And apparently neither one of them knows how to lock a bathroom door.
Michael Fassbender Stars as Brandon
Brandon lives and works in New York City where he maintains a clutter-free bachelor pad filled with pornographic magazines and videos. His home and office computers also overflow with porn, so much in fact, that his boss (James Badge Dale) confiscates his equipment and blames an intern for the computer virus contracted from downloading pornographic material. Suddenly his normal office routine (which includes daily masturbation in the men’s room) becomes disrupted by the removal of his computer and he’s thrown off-kilter.
At the same time, his troubled sister who had been calling him incessantly despite his failure to return her messages, invades his home without warning. Abandoned by her latest boyfriend, the emotionally needy Sissy hopes to latch onto Brandon for a while until she stabilizes. This unwelcome visitor, however, threatens to disrupt his sexual routine (including prostitutes, web cams, sex clubs, etc.) and expose his addiction to her prying eyes.
Voyeurism is not limited to Sissy, however. Brandon watches couples copulating against the windows in their high-rise apartments and enjoys live web cam visits from a regular female who tells Sissy, “I know what Brandon likes.” Under Steve McQueen’s artful direction, audience members also become voyeurs, peering into bathroom stalls, behind closed doors, through windows, and into bedrooms to see things that are traditionally private matters.
A Dismal Story of Dysfunction
With his home and workplace under scrutiny, Brandon ventures out into the city more. He runs through the streets, flirts on the subway, and actually takes a co-worker (Nicole Beharie) on a legitimate date – with less-than-spectacular results. Real communication and genuine emotion are beyond Brandon’s grasp. As the tension builds and Brandon is forced out of his comfort zone, he finally finds himself able to express one true emotion: anger at his sister.
At one point, Sissy tells Brandon: “We’re not bad people, we just come from a bad place.” The details of their childhood are never revealed, but by the end of the film, we have a pretty good idea of what their futures will look like. McQueen presents a dismal story of dysfunction as a brother and sister fill their empty lives with meaningless acts and hollow words.
It’s not like there’s one raw emotionally vulnerable scene or one shocking sexual encounter or one explicit case of graphic nudity in this NC-17 release. The film starts with an erotic jolt and never lessens, as Fassbender (cold, reserved, though cracking around the edges) and Mulligan (fragile and unstable) boldly live up to the challenges of presenting soft-core images in a riveting mainstream story.
Shame
- A sex addict finds his usual routine disrupted when his unstable sister drops in to stay with him.
- Starring Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, Hannah Ware, James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie, Amy Hargreaves, Elizabeth Masucci, Lucy Walters
- Director: Steve McQueen
- Writers: Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen (screenplay)
- Genre: Drama
- Run Time: 101 minutes
- Rating: NC-17 (explicit sexual content)
- 4/5 – Very Good
- Additional Information: To watch a trailer and get more information about Shame, visit the official website.
Leslie C. Halpern - Leslie C. Halpern, Romantic Films/Comedies Topic Editor, authored Passionate About Their Work, Reel Romance, & Dreams on Film.
