Brandon is a 30-something man living in New York who is unable to manage his sex life. After his wayward younger sister moves into his apartment, Brandon's world spirals out of control. Shame examines the nature of need, how we live our lives and the experiences that shape us. Written by

Plot Synopsis:
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Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is a successful, handsome thirty-something businessman living and working in New York City. Unknown to those who know him, he's struggling with a sexual addiction. On a subway train he flirts with a young woman (Lucy Walters) and she flirts back with him. She has a wedding and engagement ring on, and when they exit the train, she disappears into the crowd.

After work, Brandon and his boss David (James Badge Dale) go out and meet three women at a club. Later Brandon has sex with the woman David was trying to pursue.

When Brandon arrives home, he assumes a burglar is in his house but finds a naked woman taking a shower: it is in fact his sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan), a troubled young woman who has been left as damaged as Brandon by their troubled childhood, which is never completely revealed. Sissy tells Brandon that she has been living in Los Angeles for the past year and performing as a singer in local clubs. Having fallen on hard times, Sissy claims that she has no place to live and asks if she could stay with him for a while. Brandon reluctantly agrees

The next evening, Brandon and David watch Sissy singing a beautifully sad jazz version of New York, New York at a club. Afterwords, Sissy sits with Brandon and David at their table where she talks a little more about herself and her singing career before. After a casual talk over drinks, they all go back to Brandon's apartment. While Brandon checks his mail in the lobby, Sissy and David go up to his apartment. When Brandon arrives, he hears Sissy having sex with David through the bedroom door, in his bed.

Brandon leaves his apartment and runs on the streets while listening to Bach's piano music on his earphones. Brandon comes back home and sees that Sissy and David are gone. He changes the bedsheats and quickly goes to bed. A little later that night, he is annoyed by Sissy's presence who climbs into bed and wants to cuddle next to him. Brandon yells at her to go back to sleep on the couch and she leaves him alone.

At work, Brandon then tries to pursue a relationship with his co-worker Marianne (Nicole Beharie), by flirting with her and asking if she would like to have dinner with him, and Marianne accepts. After having casual and pleasant dinner at a local restaurant, in spite of the young awkward waiter (Robert Montano) interrupting them several times, Brandon resists with himself to make a move on Marianne. They part ways at the end of the dinner, and he goes home alone.

Later that night, Sissy arrives at Brandon's apartment and accidentally walks in on him masturbating in the bathroom. She then finds his laptop open full of pornography. Through the laptop camera, a woman (Charisse Merman) is half-undressed, touching herself while waiting for Brandon. She says that he would love the two women to get at it together. Brandon violently appears and accuses Sissy of spying on him and she storms out. Brandon then takes all of his pornography in his apartment, including his laptop, and throws everything out.

The next day at work, he approaches Marianne and takes her to a lavish hotel room. In the bathroom, hidden from Marianne's view, he snorts a line of cocaine. They attempt to have sex but Brandon cannot maintain an erection. Marianne leaves, while he stays at the hotel room, feeling lonely and humiliated. Some time later, Brandon is seen having sex with another woman (Amy Hargreaves) in the same hotel room.

When Brandon gets home, he watches animated cartoons on his TV set, and Sissy arrives and talks to him. He asks her where she was, and she tells him that she was with David. Brandon tells Sissy that David happens to be married, and Sissy says that she already knows, for David told her during their first night together. Brandon angrily tells Sissy that she must move out at the end of the week to look for her own place to live. She says that they are family and are supposed to help each other, but Brandon wants nothing to do with her because he says all she does is drag him down.

Brandon then heads out and tries to pick up a woman at a bar (Anna Rose Hopkins), but ends up getting beaten up by her boyfriend (Chazz Menendez) after he insults him by telling him how he would pleasure her. Bruised and beaten, he tries to enter a nightclub, but he is denied entrance, as the party-goers look much younger than its usual crowd; in fact, they are probably underage, so the bouncer (Carl Low) insists that he can't get in that night. Brandon sees a gay bar across the street and enters it. As he walks through it, a man approaches and kisses him, then performs fellatio on him in one of the back rooms. Next, Brandon is shown entering a cheap hotel room occupied by two women (Calamity Chang and DeeDee Luxe). He ends up having sex with both of them at the same time.

When he leaves, he sees that Sissy left a voice mail on his cell phone. He gets off the train he is on due to its being delayed by an implied suicide further up the tracks. He frantically calls Sissy but she doesn't answer, so he rushes home. When he gets there, Sissy is lying on the bathroom floor after having cut her wrists. She survives and he visits her in the hospital. When he leaves, he collapses and cries in the rain.

Some time later Brandon is seen sitting on the train, going to work as usual. The same woman from the beginning sits across from him, only wearing her engagement ring. He tries to look away but she keeps staring at him and smiling... clearly flirting with him. She stands up to leave the train, expecting him to follow her like the last time. Brandon keeps looking at her, and before viewers can know if he is going to follow her or not, the screen cuts to black.

THE END

[written by KrystelClaire]

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coolnazgul from United States
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I am truly shocked by the people criticizing this film for lack of substance. I've seen comments about how there is limited dialogue, and therefore no character development, and hardly any story. Did we watch the same film? I'm thinking we must not have.

Shame dives into the life of a man living with an addiction to sex. The first 10 minutes of this movie effectively introduces him, his addiction, his relationship with humanity (sister included), and barely uses any words to do so. You shouldn't need a lot of dialogue when emotions are conveyed with facial expressions, effective cinematography, and great editing. This film is loaded with all of that.

Obviously films are subjective, but I feel those who say they didn't get to "know' the characters at all must always need everything spoon fed to them. I am not a sex addict, but still connected with both Fassbender and Mulligan. I found the development both subtle and extremely realistic. Does everything need to always have that Hollywood ending? Should everything get wrapped up nicely and leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling when you walk out of the theater? I definitely don't think so.

Anybody who does need that probably shouldn't watch any Steve McQueen films. Anyone who can appreciate a raw, subtle, and beautifully made film should go watch Shame.

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DonFishies from Canada
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Despite having never seen Steve McQueen's Hunger, the smouldering and sensational acclaim for Shame was simply unreal. Having heard terrific things about the film, I ventured out and snagged a last minute ticket to the premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Weeks later, I am still trying to decipher what may be one of the most shocking and raw films I have seen in quite some time.

The titular Shame in question is what Brandon (Michael Fassbender), a posh yuppie living in New York City, must live with every day. He is a sex addict, and his addiction knows no bounds. His estranged sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) has also just dropped by his apartment for an extended stay, making things all the worse.

The plot may not sound like much, because there really is not all that much to it storywise. Shame is more of a portrait of a man struggling with his inner demons than it is anything else. There is a story at its very core, but the primary focus is always on Brandon, his addiction and what boundaries and limits it pushes him to. I had read about some of the more "unconventional" and decidedly non-mainstream sexual escapades (for lack of a better word) Brandon gets himself into, but I was still incredibly surprised and downright shocked by just how far McQueen goes with this character. He is brazen and uninhibited in what he shows on screen, bravely defying the conventions of what we typically can and cannot see in mainstream cinema. McQueen does not shy away from hard truths, and does not even try to mask the explicit nature of some of the sexual acts. Seeing how far Brandon will go to satisfy and suppress himself is simply harrowing, not unlike films like Trainspotting and Requiem for a Dream were with their characters' drug addictions.

While the film and its frank depiction of sexuality are sometimes difficult to watch, I found myself mesmerized by the choreography and cinematography at play throughout. McQueen frames the film with the audience in the position of a voyeur. Early on, we see Brandon's morning routine, featuring Fassbender roaming around his chic apartment totally naked. We see him at his most honest and his most vulnerable, a man who is unable to hide the truth about himself. Later, we watch him as he interacts with his office co-workers from behind huge glass windows, and from a table across from him at a restaurant while he is on a date. McQueen uses a lot of unbroken shots to help depict this slice of Brandon's life through tracking shots and an immense amount of long shots. They help set the very somber mood, and allow the audience to continue watching as if they were an actual character peering into the events that transpire for him. McQueen also expertly uses music to help dictate the action on screen, tearing away the dialogue or sounds of the scene. It makes for an awkward feeling, but one that evokes a response with every new scene.

But for all of the shock and audacity, McQueen still managed to make a deeply troubled film that leaves a lot unsaid, and even more unresolved. He does not give out simple answers for what causes Brandon's addiction, or even the reasoning behind the troubled and strained relationship between Brandon and Sissy. While leaving some things enigmatic and up to the viewers to decide (many have already voiced their concerns regarding incest, which seem a bit too outrageous for this kind of film) is incredibly intriguing and help further propel the voyeuristic means of viewing the film, it also makes for maddening thoughts afterwards. What exactly is McQueen trying to say? What is the point he is trying to make? It all feels like it builds towards nothing outside of an unsatisfying and deludingly ambiguous climax. As mentioned earlier, it feels like the story and just about everything else came second to the portrait he wanted to paint through Fassbender's canvas. I can appreciate the film as it is, but it makes it hard to love it the way I thought I would.

Fassbender is stunning as Brandon, magnetizing the audience from the beginning all the way to the end. He propels the film, using his reactions and emotions to define the character. He makes Brandon's struggle one that is very real, and almost horrific. He is unable to feel intimacy, and watching him struggle to fulfill his urges is fascinating and deeply disturbing all at once. Watching his face through candid closeups, you can see just how much raw power went into the role. But while it is a stellar and tortured performance that more than proves his weight as an up and coming actor, I never found him to be nearly as incredibly impressive as we know he can be. I still find myself at odds with how great it was, and how much greater it could have been.

While James Badge Dale is effective in his small role as Brandon's smarmy and sleazy boss David, it is Mulligan who truly compliments Fassbender. Her role does not ask a whole lot of her, but her pained expressions and infinite desire to be loved by everyone is more than enough to make this a memorable turn for her. While the full frontal nudity was near useless, I only wish that she could have done more.

Shame is a very well done film, but one that will divide audiences. On one hand, it is an expertly crafted film about addiction that packs a great lead performance. On the other hand, it is a maddening film that answers very little it asks and sometimes shocks just for the sake of it. It is an impressive feat for a second feature, but one that I think could have been even better.

8/10.

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moviemanMA from Massachusetts
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Shame, the real feel bad movie of the year, is only McQueen's second feature film to date. His first film, Hunger, focused on a man who made his life very public when he went on a hunger strike during the 1981 Irish Hunger Strikes. In Shame, McQueen dissects the very personal and often shocking sexual addiction of Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender). Brandon is a well off business man. He has an apartment in New York where he leads a seemingly good life, but hides a dark secret that is on the verge of destroying him. His sex addiction has gone out of control. To make this even more difficult, his sister drops in unexpected and crashes at his place (played by Carey Mulligan). Her lifestyle begins to interfere with his addiction, forcing him to take drastic measures.

Every waking moment is spent towards achieving one goal: orgasm. We see him smile, laugh, engage socially, but when he is alone he is focused, like a junkie going through the routine of drug addiction. Brandon's tools aren't lighters, spoons, and rubber ties. He uses prostitutes, Internet pornography, magazines, or his imagination. Even at work his mind wanders off, either at a passing coworker or something he has looked up on his computer. This is far from a private matter. His addiction is slipping into the open and he knows it. We assume he is aware of his problem. At the beginning of the film we see Brandon lying naked in bed, the sheet pulled over his private area. He lies motionless, only staring at the ceiling above, breathing in and out as if he knows that today is going to be a long day. We know he's not thinking about work. He has one thing and one thing only. Sex.

Most people associate sex with pleasure. I'm sure Brandon has at one time or another had a pleasurable experience during intercourse, but he is long past that stage. During a scene on the subway he spots a woman. She's an attractive woman. She's alone. Vulnerable. She eyes Brandon staring back at her. The two have chemistry. In silence they are mentally engaging each other. His stare never wavers, he just scans her up and down. Suddenly her face changes. She gets up, showing the audience her wedding band. We can feel her shame for flirting with Brandon. He gets up and stands behind her. He follows her out of the train only to lose her in the crowd. His disappointment isn't so much in relation to not getting to know her, but that he will have to continue his search for sex elsewhere.

Brandon is a tragic character. His only connection with people is linked with sex. How will this person help or interfere with me reaching my goal of orgasm? Brandon's limit's knows no bounds. Fassbender, who also appeared in McQueen's Hunger, gives a fascinating performance. It is fearless both in the sense that it is a physically challenging role and that he accomplishes the role with such honesty. He could have played it like some debonair businessman just looking to score. Fassbender knows that his character is truly disturbed. He knows that if people found out about his condition he would be ostracized. He also knows that he needs help and won't get it. All of these factors come into play and create an incredible performance. Much like Gosling pulled off in Drive, Fassbender uses his eyes and body language to express how he feels.

Pain is a word often associated with addiction. We see videos of addicts going through withdrawals in health class. They kick, scream, shake, vomit. Evidence of a sickness in the body. Fassbender's character also shows great pain and uneasiness. During times of sheer euphoria, at least for a normal person, Fassbender gives us pain and suffering. He can't help what he's doing but he needs it to stay normal.

Along with Fassbender is Mulligan, another one of today's rising stars. Her character is rebellious, dependent, and loving. She wants nothing more than to find someone to care for her and to spend time with her brother. Her brother is too involved with his addiction and her taste in men and willingness to fall in love with them brings her down even more. She plays a girl on the edge of a breakdown and really shines on screen. Like Fassbender, she gives her all for the role, exposing her true colors.

In just two films McQueen has established himself as a major player in the art house scene. Both films are festival favorites with critical praise, but the general public isn't ready for his heavy storytelling. With hope (and some financial backing) he will continue to make the films he wants to make and hopefully garner enough praise here in the states to win over more of the public. It's going to be hard if he keeps getting NC-17 ratings.

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Nicholas Lyons (Copyright1994) from Ontario, Canada
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"Shame" centers on Brandon (Michael Fassbender), a lonely, self- alienated man in his thirties who tries his best to appear as your average New Yorker with an office job whenever he finds himself out in public. The trouble with this young man-- or his tragic flaw-- is that whenever he finds a minute of privacy in his day, he hastily delves into his own fabricated reality: a world of excessive sex, pornography, and masturbation. The day Brandon's distressed, disruptive sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) barges into his condo looking for a place to stay until things wind down and her sorrows disappear, his life begins to spiral out of control. He grows increasingly frustrated with her as he feels her invasive presence will bring about the exposure of his deepest and darkest secrets. However, we see that this is just a manifestation of his feelings of intense shame and regret for leading the sad, artificial life he believes is the only one fit for him. Steve McQueen has the sheer audacity to go where very few filmmakers have dared to go before by making a film about sexual addiction and its effects on the human mind. In this ambitious boldness, he doesn't want to hold back on anything and he isn't afraid to show everything, so the result is a film with enough full nudity and explicit sexual content to receive an R-rating in Canada, which would probably translate to an NC- 17 rating in the US, unfortunately. There are several scenes in the film where you literally see every inch of skin on the bodies of the actors (Fassbender is probably the most physically exposed). Having said that, this is never something that comes across as frivolous and it only enhances the film's shock factor as a whole. Michael Fassbender delivers the performance of a lifetime in "Shame", and I currently can't see anyone else winning the Oscar for Best Actor at the upcoming Academy Awards. He seems to understand his sad, lonely character just as well as the screenwriters who gave birth to him (Abi Morgan and Steve McQueen). Brandon is his own worst enemy, for he longs to find solace in someone and discover genuine human affection, but the other side of him remains too caught up in a shameful world detached from real feelings and emotions. There are some scenes in the film where we, the audience, are left alone with nothing but his introspective, subdued presence as he reflects upon his actions in regret. These scenes say more than most movies can say within their entirety. It's thanks to Michael Fassbender's pitch-perfect performance that we can step into his character's shoes and get to feel what he's feeling. They say actions speak more than words; with "Shame", acting speaks more than the inclusion of any sort of narration ever would. Don't worry; I didn't forget about Carey Mulligan! I thought I would highlight her performance separately, too. If I had to say only one thing about it, I would emphasize how amazed I was at seeing her in such an unusual, singular role. She has a tendency to play soft-spoken, prim and proper characters-- but that's not the case with "Shame". She really submerges herself into this disastrous, uncontrollable mess of a young woman who never conceals her deepest feelings to the world-- be it joy or sorrow. There's this one very memorable scene in the film where she sings her own rendition of the jazz standard "New York, New York" in a lounge (she's a singer who does gigs here and there), and for the duration of the song, the camera stays focused on her face. There are no cuts nor camera movements for a good five minutes (of course, this won't come as a big shock to you if you have seen Steve McQueen's "Hunger"), yet somehow, this scene is absolutely mesmerizing-- almost hypnotizing. Just the way she naturally glances about apprehensively as this beautiful voice is unleashed (although it probably isn't hers) is enough to send shivers down your spine. What can I say about all the other aspects of the film? Well, since Steve McQueen was the man behind the direction and shot composition, it's no big surprise that "Shame" is expertly crafted in every little detail. McQueen used the same cinematographer (Sean Bobbitt) and editor (Joe Walker) of his first feature to achieve the same impressive aesthetic look. Some parts of the film must have required so much time and effort from the editor, it's hard to believe what was accomplished! As for the cinematography, I'm sure you'll be floored by it within the first five minutes of the film. In this opening scene, Brandon finds himself staring at a woman sitting across from him as he is riding the subway. He misunderstands her frightened glances and nervous attempts to display her wedding ring as romantic advances, so when she gets off in a panic at the next stop, he immediately follows her. In one of the most beautiful, gliding shots I've ever witnessed-- with an emotionally shattering musical composition by Harry Escott playing all throughout-- we see Brandon running up the station stairs and looking around for the woman, only to realize that she had run away from him. His failure to comprehend human interactions in this scene already gives us a distinct perception on this poor character's serious vulnerability. In sum, Steve McQueen's "Shame" is a masterful character study with top- grade performances from Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan and a raw power unmatched by any other film I've seen. This is surely not a film for everyone, as it deals with dark, gritty topics often labeled as far too controversial for the big screen. But if you're open to true cinema, here's a devastating powerhouse of a film that will chill you to the bone and forever stay with you.

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Edd-N-Furter from Mexico
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Brandon seems to be successful in life: a steady job, a nice apartment, good friends and success with women. But something prevents Brandon from having a relationship that lasts more than four months, this incapacity is due to the fact that Brandon is a sex addict: to casual encounters with strangers and prostitutes, to pornography (both during and after working hours), to masturbation. And to some extent he seems to have his addiction under control, until her sister Sissy arrives unexpectedly looking for a place to live for a while.

Under this premise British director Steve McQueen delivers a fascinating character study which explores how modern life (in which new technologies play a major role), increasingly isolates people and makes them unable to establish emotional bonds with others. In the case of Brandon, a hunter in search of pleasure and not love, the arrival of his sister will make him prey of his emotions and will make him face his reality.

One aspect that has caused controversy is the way so raw and explicit to show Brandon's sexual encounters, however this becomes a necessary element, since it is through them that you can see Brandon's need and desperation as Sissy is more involved in his life. Special mention deserves the dynamics established between them, since it is fully nuanced and can even be uncomfortable to witness but is devastatingly emotional(especially in the last minutes of the story).

However, the most important element for the success of the film lies in the performances: in the hands of less committed actors Brandon and Sissy's conflicts would be unconvincing, but McQueen wisely chooses Michael Fassbender (both had previously worked together on Hunger), who literally bares body and soul to take Brandon's emotions to the limit and does it so impressively in a brave and courageous performance (and unfortunately the Academy possibly considered too intense for consideration in their nominations). Meanwhile Carey Mulligan proves to be one of the young actresses with the best prospects and acting range nowadays: her rendition of the classic song New York, New York is an utter delight as well is one of the best scenes in the film.

Shame, in the end (as in most character studies) does not seek to create empathy for the characters, but rather wants us to reflect and ask ourselves how we would react in similar situations.

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freemantle_uk from United Kingdom
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Steve McQueen made a real impact in the film world with his powerful debut Hunger. But like with musicians, there is always the risk that a director's second film will not live up to the high expectations the first effort sets. Yet McQueen has a good go with his dark exploration of human character in Shame.

Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is a successful and well off man living in New York City. He is also a sex addict who constantly picks up women, hires prostitutes, views internet porn daily and masturbates at any given opportunity. It affects his day to day life and he lives a lonely existence. His life is made more complex when his singer sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan), a woman with obvious problems, crashes at his place. She interferes with his life, including sleeping with his boss, David (James Badge Dale) and sets Brandon off to tackle his addiction.

Brandon is depicted as a really despicable character, but he is a man struggling with an addiction. There is a number of sexual scenes throughout Shame, but there is no eroticism as Brandon explores more depraved and disgusting acts and his life spirals out of control. Shame plays as a drug addition movie, similar to Requiem for a Dream as someone struggles to give up something hazardous.

Fassbender offers a powerful performance as a dark, sinister man with strong interplay with Mulligan as he becomes threatening towards her. Compare him to Mulligan, a much more brittle character, on the edge for different reason. She gives a heartbreaking performance as a woman who does not know how to do deal with problems and has a sadness in her eyes. Their scenes were enhanced by McQueen's direction, using hand held cameras to follows Fassbender and the conversations stick to one point, making you feel like you are really watching them in a voyeuristic matter. This makes the movie more tense as the tone changes in an instant.

McQueen employs a grainy filter, giving Shame a dark, grim look which is perfectly fitting considering the atmosphere of the movie. The visuals have a similar feel and tone as other gritty and grim New York set films such as Taxi Driver, Midnight Cowboy and American Psycho, all of which follow the horrible underbelly of the city. He has shown that he is a great actors' director, but McQueen also had some great visuals, such as a long tracking shot of Brandon jogging and Brandon watching two people having sex in their apartment.

There are many moments in the movie that have little dialogue, relying on Fassbender superb abilities as an actor, particularly key in the beginning and during a long montage of Brandon wandering alone in New York, playing like a scene in the great novel Last Exit to Brooklyn. This is a movie about Brandon's continuing descent and self-sabotage and Fassbender should hopefully gain an Oscar nomination to back up his award buzz in Europe.

Shame continues McQueen's reputation as being one of the best emerging directors around, sticking to his no holds barred, brutal style which keeps a stage play quality to the presentation. Shame is tough, but worthy just for Fassbender's performance and keeps to a tradition of grim New York based film.

Please visit www.playeraffinity.com

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hopek-1 from United Kingdom
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This was not an easy film to watch and even less easy to reflect on. However, I thought it was a great film. Original and brave. The acting was totally convincing and the theme important and challenging. The repeated reminders of the hypocrisy of our society regarding sex and violence were clever and uncomfortable. I was very disappointed, but not surprised, that this film received no recognition at the awards ceremony. Normally, "sex, sells" is written on the heart of all promoters. But not in this case, as it is not at all titillating. A genuinely adult film (not the usual meaning). Fine performances from Michael Fassbinder and Carry Mulligan.

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keithla43 from Culver City, CA
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***SPOILERS*** There is absolutely a great film about a man (or woman) who moves from sexual act to sexual act, unfeeling, looking to numb their existence.

This is not that film.

I understand the film was mostly improvisation. See, there's a REASON for a script. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad, but a script gives you a path find your way through the film. There's no path here, just a really big, unkempt park with people screwing in the bushes.

Case in point: Powerful scenes can be formed with extremely long scenes, going beyond what would normally be used. You watch, you watch, then suddenly see something that changes the way you feel about a character, or an event.

Or you can just let the camera run on and on as you film people running or -- oh, please just kill me now! -- listening to a woman who can't sing with a grating piano behind her as she sings the ENTIRE "New York, New York" song at roughly half the speed Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday" to JFK.

The actors were fine, I suppose. But it's hard to know when they're fighting their way out of this mess. Everything that you expect to happen, happens, and not with any great drama. Mostly you just don't care about anyone on the screen.

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beatlefan842000 from United States
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This film instantly drew me in. Fassbender's performance is complex and truly believable.I can honestly say that if you are not haunted by the torment of both Michael Fassbender's and Carey Mulligan's performance, then you are in denial. The pain is apparent, the intrigue of what happened to these siblings is staring you in the face throughout the film. The role's Fassbender has chosen lately have made me an ultimate fan! Another McQueen movie, HUNGER, also stars Fassbender as an Irishman in political protest against the corrupt government of the "80's. I tremendously enjoy watching him on the screen. Michael Fassbender relays raw emotion and true passion to create believable and relatable characters. Im looking forward to future projects.

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madmask1
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Masterpiece? Really? I had expectations after seeing the trailer and having seen Fassbender play in other movies, but boy was I disappointed! Not by the actors, even though I thought Carey Mulligan was better in other movies, Michael Fassebender is actually the only good thing I kept from the movie. Thhe story doesn't go anywhere in my opinion. McQueen only gives glimpses of few things that are abandoned right away like his relationship to his colleague, his family past, his sister (wasn't it the center point of the movie, to have a situation where she disturbs everything? she's not present enough for me). I would have preferred to have shorter or fewer sex scenes (all the sex showed does not serve the story that much after a while we've seen it all!) and more deeper views on Brandon's relationships.

I don't mind to see a dark movie (actually I usually appreciate it), or a slow movie where it's more about contemplating, getting close to the characters to feel what it's about. But "Shame" didn't get me at all, I was just glad when it was over, a bit mad to have paid a ticket, and very disappointed.

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AKAs Titles:


Certifications:
Argentina:18 / Australia:R / Brazil:16 / Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) / Canada:R (Manitoba) / Canada:16+ (Quebec) / Chile:18 / China:(Banned) / France:12 / Germany:16 / Hong Kong:III / India:(Banned) / Ireland:18 / Italy:VM14 / Japan:R18+ / Japan:R15+ (edited version) / Lebanon:(Banned) / Malaysia:(Banned) / Netherlands:16 / New Zealand:R18 / Norway:15 / Portugal:M/18 / Singapore:R21 (cut) / South Korea:18 / Spain:18 / Sweden:15 / UK:18 / USA:NC-17 (certificate #47025)