Chichester Cinema at New Park
Shame
Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan star In Steve Mcqueen's frank study of a New York man's sexual compulsion.
Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is in his thirties, living and working in New York. He's single, smart, and attractive. He also has a compulsive sexual need that sees him caught up in a repetitive cycle of pick-ups, prostitutes and online encounters.
Whether he's managing his sex life or it's managing him is open to question, but his world seems self-contained and ordered, free of any messy emotional ties. However, when his wayward younger sister sissy (Mulligan) arrives at his apartment begging to stay, Brandon's control starts to slip. Director Mcqueen (Hunger) has made a confident second feature about the nature of need and desire.
Fassbender is perfect as a man whose near-obsessive behaviour hints at some hidden past; and Mulligan is a well-chosen sparring partner, bringing emotional depth to the flaky and clearly damaged Sissy. ‘Shame’ is provocative and controversial, but also a beautiful looking film with a keen and precise eye for composition, and a judicious use of New York’s streets, subways and other locations.
UK · 
USA · 2011 · Steve Mcqueen · 99min
