Shame

Year: 2011

Grade: B+

Country: USA

Director: McQueen

Review

this film leaves a lasting impression, for better or worse. i think it’s a good film and a successful one. it’s another quality film about mental illness (other recents include: it’s kind of a funny story, take shelter (?), martha marcy may marlene). in this case the mental illness is addiction to sex. fassbender is really good in the lead role. the star, though, is the style and tone of the film. steve mcqueen (no relation) does a really good job with the flow and tenor of the picture. it’s occasionally obnoxious (like the achingly slow carey mulligan version of new york new york), but it mostly builds into the film the idea that we’re just witnessing everything that is happening. there’s not a lot of artifice to the film. there are some nice shots, but i didn’t feel like mcqueen was trying to draw attention to the direction, per se. the music fit right into this as well of course and, after i saw it in full, seeing bits later on instantly recalled the feelings i had when watching it the first time. it’s a good and effective film about an addiction that i’m guessing we’re going to see more and more of in the next few generations.

Watched in theater