Shame centres around successful executive, Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender) whose life is effectively ruled by his sex addiction. This is further complicated by the arrival of his young sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) who needs to stay in his apartment for a while as she seeks a career as a singer.
From the onset, it is clear that these are two very damaged people and you have to assume that something happened in their childhood, but this is not revealed during the film. The consequences of their childhood is seen in their reckless behaviour; with Sissy, it is her self-harming and unsuitable relationships; for Brandon, it is his constant need for sex.
Brandon quickly realises that he cannot continue with his lifestyle while Sissy is living with him and tries to take the opportunity to establish a relationship with a work colleague Marianne (Nicole Beharie). It becomes obvious that his only method of communicating is through sex.
This is a fantastically powerful film, with Fassbender and Mulligan attaining career highs. Both gave honest, engaging and raw performances and although there are several graphic sexual scenes, these are not gratuitous in any way. The sexual scenes were never shown as being enjoyable for Brandon, had they been seen as pleasurable, it would have undermined the message of the film.
It is a brutal film that hides nothing, doesn't gloss over any aspect of the subject matter and shows sex addiction for the torment that it is.
Verdict: A tough, but remarkable film that was unjustly overlooked at the Oscars. I would liked to have had more backstory, but unusually, I didn't mind that I left the screening with more questions than answers and in silence.
Truly fantastic performances from Fassbender and Mulligan (her version of New York, New York is gorgeous) and I am looking forward to seeing what director Steve McQueen does next.
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