It took a full twelve hours to truly feel normal again after seeing Steve McQueen's haunting new film "Shame" this weekend. In the couple of days that have passed, I'm still thinking about it, which I suppose is the mark of a film that is both effective and thought-provoking. I found it hard to shake the journey into the psyche of Michael Fassbender's character Brandon, a man filled with the constant anguish and shame of being a sex addict. I walked out of the theatre feeling it was important that the film was made, covering a topic that you simply don't hear discussed often in our society, unless it leads to the dissolution of a celebrity marriage. "Shame" shows its audience how this type of addiction can ruin lives and that the repercussions are damaging to great lengths.
Fassbender's performance is astounding. He takes you into a man's life that is difficult to watch yet you can't seem to look away. As Sissy enters his life (his sister, played by Carey Mulligan), the drama seems to magnify as her mere presence alters Brandon's usual routine. Sissy tells Brandon, "We're not bad people. We just come from a bad place." Clearly they have a past that has shaped the tortured souls they have become and whether that past was filled with sexual abuse, possible incest or something else is left up to the viewer. Mulligan gives a gutsy, fearless performance herself, never shying away from bringing Sissy's rough edges to the surface, as well as the pain and insecurities that she also suffers from.
Although "Shame" has received a lot of buzz regarding its NC-17 rating and topic, I hope this film encourages other artists to not be afraid to tackle difficult subject matter. McQueen's approach to the work is dark, yet stunning, and the performances by Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan tell a story that is piercing and true. I have walked the streets of New York City countless times when I lived there for several years, working not far from Brandon's neighborhood in the West 30's. I often wondered about the lives strangers went home to after another day in the office. It can be easier to pretend that the grim lives like Brandon's don't exist, but life is not always so clean and kind. I commend the filmmakers and actors for making me feel for these characters, as mentally wounded as they may be.
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