Directed by Steve McQueen (Hunger), Shame follows the life of Brandon (Michael Fassbender), a New York business man who is riding on a self destructive path. While seemingly normal, Brandon is an addict, a sex addict, and all of his emotions begin to implode when his sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), arrives at his place. Though they share a special bond, Sissy presence begins to expose Brandon’s flaws while she clearly shows her emotional ones off.
Driven by an Oscar worthy performance by Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class) and an appropriately dramatic score, Steve McQueen’s brilliant film was my second favorite of 2011 (read my full review here). It’s a though provoking, mesmerizing and undeniably authentic feature that will resonate strongly with any audience willing to challenge themselves and think through a film. But be prepared, it’s an artistically graphic film that’ll be one of the more interesting home viewing experiences you’ll ever have.
Special Features:
The Blu-ray doesn’t come with much in the way of special features, which I’m kind of upset about, but it does look very good on my screen. There are five short featurettes with a lot of the same or similar commentary. Then there are the staples of every disc: the theatrical trailer and sneek peeks of upcoming films. The special features include the following:
Focus on Michael Fassbender (3 min) – In this short featurette, Fassbender explains his character Brandon and the issues he is dealing with, namely how he tries to keep emotion and responsibility out of his life which ends up being the reason he begins to implode and be a self destructive force. When his sister arrives she exposes his addiction and so he eventually comes to the realization that he needs to try and rid himself of it.
The Story of Shame (3:18) – This featurette gives us the basic breakdown of the story with commentary from Carey Mulligan, Michael Fassbender and Steve McQueen. Some of the commentary you’ll hear in other segments but they give good insight into the issues with each character and how they affect the people around them. We go on this journey with Michael and it eventually ends up being about a man who is lost and then found, according to McQueen
The Director – Steve McQueen (3 min) – He explains how real this sexual addiction is and how it effects Brandon throughout the movie. HE goes on to say that Brandon isn’t a freak and simply uses his sexual escapades to forget his emotional pains whereas Sissy just walks through life without a safety net which is part of her downfall. Fu
rthermore, he makes sure to point out that sex affects other people, not just the individual pursing it, which is very true and Brandon doesn’t seem to understand that.
A Shared Vision (2:30) – Michael and Steve talk about how they worked together on Hunger before they reunited on Shame. McQueen explains how he creates characters and Michael inhabits them rather than building the character based off Michael. Fassbender explains why he enjoys working with Steve, namely because he is someone who lifts him above his own capabilities. It’s a great team effort and a relationship that will continue down the road with more films.
Fox movie channel presents: In Character with Michael Fassbender (5 min) – Fassbender talks about his research and how met with people who’ve had sexual addiction – he talks about his relationship with his sister and how they care for each other but are also brutal and know each other’s weak spots. She explodes with emotion and latches on while Brandon keeps his emotions tucked away and imploding with it. He emphasizes the fact that they don’t discuss their parents or much of their back story so that the audience has a challenge and is willing to meet the film halfway. He’s happy that people are open to this idea rather than being spoon fed with knowledge.
Theatrical Trailer
Sneek Peek at Fox Searchlight films
Movie Rating: An artistic masterpiece that, while graphic, is both mesmerizing and though provoking (9.8/10)
Disc Rating: (5/10)
Shame is now available on Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Combo Pack from
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