Shame

Synopsis
An outwardly ordinary man must come to terms with his inner compulsions in this powerful drama from filmmaker Steve McQueen. Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is a successful businessman in his early thirties who lives in New York. To most around him, Brandon seems cool and introverted, but inside he is wrestling with a powerful sexual appetite; he's obsessed with pornography and prefers short-term relationships with women that allow him to keep the world at arm's length. The grim routine of Brandon's life is upended when his sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) stops by for an extended visit without prior notice. While Brandon is reserved, Sissy is an outgoing and flashy musician, and she doesn't seem to care about her brother's need for privacy. When Sissy forces Brandon to look closely at his life, he comes to understand the circumstances that made him the man he is today as his veneer of calm begins to crack. SHAME won the Firpresci Award (presented by the International Federation of Film Critics) at the 2011 Venice Film Festival.

Reviews
"[W]orth seeing primarily for Michael Fassbender's mesmerizing performance....The camera lingers on Fassbender's subtly riveting face and chiseled physique." (USA Today)

"[B]oth unflinching and unnerving, this is a psychologically claustrophobic film that strips its characters bare literally and figuratively, leaving them, and us, nowhere to hide." (Los Angeles Times)

3 stars out of 4 -- "As in HUNGER, McQueen favors long, uninterrupted takes, which gives Fassbender's extraordinary gift for expression free rein....There's no doubt that SHAME burrows into one's consciousness and stays there..." (Washington Post)

3 stars out of 5 -- "Holding shots for many minutes at a time, employing extreme close ups and letting his actors do the heavy lifting McQueen is the auteur darling of the moment....He has undeniable talent and clear ideas of the story he wants to tell." (Box Office)

"Driven by a brilliant, ferocious performance by Michael Fassbender, SHAME is a real walk on the wild side, a scorching look at a case of sexual addiction that's as all-encompassing as a craving for drugs." (Hollywood Reporter)

"[T]he director brings his artist's eye to every frame of the film..." (Wall Street Journal)

4 stars out of 4 -- "SHAME contains unblinking truth....This is a great act of filmmaking and acting." (Chicago Sun-Times)

"Mulligan is terrific here, and restrained in a way that suggests an actorly generosity unusual for someone so young..." (Movieline)

"[I]t’s told with tremendous clarity and power....Again, Fassbender leaves nothing in reserve." -- Grade: B+ (A.V. Club)

"Fassbender delivers a riveting performance, giving himself over completely to become a man addicted to lust." (Entertainment Weekly)

4 stars out of 5 -- "SHAME remains a provocative portrait of a man in thrall to uncontrollable desire. It's battering and ballsy..." (Total Film)

"[McQueen] is at his best when staging wrestling bouts -- be they psychological, intellectual or erotic." (Sight and Sound)