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From Amazon.co.uk
Firmly planting itself near the top of the memorable performances and films that have been overlooked by the Oscars, Michael Fassbender's astonishing work in Shame is genuinely something to behold. Stripped bare, both physically and emotionally, he plays Brandon, a man struggling with a sex addiction, whose life gets yet more complex when his sister, played by Carey Mulligan, comes to stay. It's comfortably one of the least titillating films ever made about sex, and in this case, it's all the better for it.
Directed by Steve McQueen, who also worked with Fassbender on the acclaimed Hunger, Shame is an ambitious, raw drama. As a study of a character in the depths of an addiction, it both breaks a taboo or two, and is unflinching in its portrayal. And while there's an argument that the film itself isn't quite the equal of its leading man, Shame is both important and courageous. McQueen, certainly, is a director who very much does things his own way.
The disc's extras inevitably focus on Fassbender's provocative work, with a special Q&A with the actor himself. There are also individual interviews with key members of the cast, although hearing a little more from Steve McQueen would have been welcome. Still, it's a solid package of extra features, and it's a starting point of discussion for a film that lends itself to dissection and analysis. At the very least, though, Shame's place in history is assured, just for the quality of acting on display. --Jon Foster
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast/Crew Interview(s), Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: Thirty-something Brandon Sullivan is a New York yuppie. He is also a sex addict who thinks about sex all the time when he's not having sex. He surfs for porn on his work computer, masturbates often even in his office's men's room, and eyes strange women in whatever situation he's in in the hopes of having quick anonymous sex with them. He hides his sex addiction from those few people in his life who he lets in in an emotional sense, unlike his married boss, David Fisher, who is open about his marital infidelities to his male work colleagues. And the act of sex holds no emotional connotation whatsoever for Brandon. The arrival back into his life and his apartment of his sister Sissy Sullivan, from who he was estranged due to the emotional baggage associated, changes Brandon's life, especially in what he can do in what used to be the privacy and sanctity of his apartment. Sissy, unlike Brandon, sees sex and emotional attachment as one in the same. Brandon's life begins to spiral out of control following Sissy's arrival. He gains a better understanding, albeit an unpleasant one, of his life following an incident involving Sissy. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Australian Film Institute, BAFTA Awards, British Independent Film Awards, Golden Globes, Venice Film Festival, ...Shame (2011)
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
127 of 139 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Spoilers?
This is a wonderful, powerful film which made a great impression when shown at the Leeds Film Festival in late 2011.
Brandon, brilliantly played by Fassbinder, works in New York in an unspecified job, but he is clearly successful and on the top table. His relationships at work are defined by his position in the hierarchy: his boss is his mate, but it is pretty clear that Brandon is eager to please him and that they are certainly not close. He has a series of sexual relationships with women in the film which are driven purely by sexual gratification: he visits prostitutes, seems skilled at picking up women in social encounters for no-strings sex and is clearly heavily into porn sites, including webcams and chat. He is sexually predatory, but only in seeking consensual sex. His home laptop 'sleeps' in porn access mode, it seems, and his boss complains that Brandon's computer check reveals a hard drive swamped with extreme porn: responsibility is deflected onto a recent intern. His flat is clean, characterless and monochrome: there are no signs that any of his frequent encounters leave any trace in his domestic life and it seems little more than a space to live in.
Into this emotional desert arrives his sister, Cissy, a singer. Despite her need for somewhere to stay, he is so determined on keeping his life uncluttered by an fetters, emotional or otherwise, that his agreement is only reluctantly given and given with very bad grace. Cissy's presence in his life once more and the emotional neediness which comes with it is something he can barely tolerate, not because it is simply inconvenient but because it stirs up unspecified emotional trauma from the past. She self-harms, desperately needs warmth from someone, but Brandon is unwilling or unable to provide it.... Read more ›
This is a wonderful, powerful film which made a great impression when shown at the Leeds Film Festival in late 2011.
Brandon, brilliantly played by Fassbinder, works in New York in an unspecified job, but he is clearly successful and on the top table. His relationships at work are defined by his position in the hierarchy: his boss is his mate, but it is pretty clear that Brandon is eager to please him and that they are certainly not close. He has a series of sexual relationships with women in the film which are driven purely by sexual gratification: he visits prostitutes, seems skilled at picking up women in social encounters for no-strings sex and is clearly heavily into porn sites, including webcams and chat. He is sexually predatory, but only in seeking consensual sex. His home laptop 'sleeps' in porn access mode, it seems, and his boss complains that Brandon's computer check reveals a hard drive swamped with extreme porn: responsibility is deflected onto a recent intern. His flat is clean, characterless and monochrome: there are no signs that any of his frequent encounters leave any trace in his domestic life and it seems little more than a space to live in.
Into this emotional desert arrives his sister, Cissy, a singer. Despite her need for somewhere to stay, he is so determined on keeping his life uncluttered by an fetters, emotional or otherwise, that his agreement is only reluctantly given and given with very bad grace. Cissy's presence in his life once more and the emotional neediness which comes with it is something he can barely tolerate, not because it is simply inconvenient but because it stirs up unspecified emotional trauma from the past. She self-harms, desperately needs warmth from someone, but Brandon is unwilling or unable to provide it.... Read more ›
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I read all the reviews and they all seem to see Fassbender's character as an addict, someone who is atypical, an unhappy outsider, sick. The sister, too, is perceived as emotionally damaged. What if we were to see these characters as TYPICAL, as representing what life is like for many younger adults today living in massive anonymous ugly-chic cities, dividing their lives between workplaces where they are in constant anxiety about losing their job (or worse, not at work and not having a properly paid job at all), boxy apartments where they squat in front of screens watching mainstream movies or porn online, and dangerous night streets. As I watched this I couldn't help thinking, too, of Damian Lewis in Keane, an even more uncomfortable look at very similar themes. Maybe what we are seeing here is the present and future for young people. Three stars: the film is very memorable, but not at all enjoyable.
24 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Directed by Steve McQueen, "Shame" explores sexual addiction, alienation, and loneliness in contemporary New York City. With its many sex scenes, the film manages to be unerotic. The movie and its actors have received numerous accolades. The acting is convincing and the scenes of city life well drawn. Many viewers will find this film disturbing.
The film stars Michael Fassbender as a successful 30ish professional named Brandon who cannot control his sexual appetites or channel his sexuality into a relationship. Brandon is both a predator and a victim. He is apparently able to pick up attractive similarly lonely women on the spot for short encounters. Brandon also uses the services of prostitutes. When he is home alone, he watches pornography and camgirls on his computer. He gets confronted with a wide range of pornographic material on his office computer. He is unable to function in an attempted relationship with a coworker, Marianne, (Nichole Beharie) which involves attempted emotion beyond sex. Fassbender plays this role well in his lines, dress, gestures, and facial expressions. He has a sense of decency and is at war with himself.
The other primary character in "Shame" is Brandon's younger sister Sissie played by Carrie Mulligan. Sissie has suicidal tendencies and is emotionally needy. She moves in with Brandon early in the film and the emotional tension mounts between the siblings as the movie progresses. Each sees the serious, devastating issues in the life of the other. Brandon's sexual addition and his relationship with Sissie become intertwined and form the two themes of this movie.
The movie makes have use of atmosphere to establish the sordid character of Brandon's mind.... Read more ›
The film stars Michael Fassbender as a successful 30ish professional named Brandon who cannot control his sexual appetites or channel his sexuality into a relationship. Brandon is both a predator and a victim. He is apparently able to pick up attractive similarly lonely women on the spot for short encounters. Brandon also uses the services of prostitutes. When he is home alone, he watches pornography and camgirls on his computer. He gets confronted with a wide range of pornographic material on his office computer. He is unable to function in an attempted relationship with a coworker, Marianne, (Nichole Beharie) which involves attempted emotion beyond sex. Fassbender plays this role well in his lines, dress, gestures, and facial expressions. He has a sense of decency and is at war with himself.
The other primary character in "Shame" is Brandon's younger sister Sissie played by Carrie Mulligan. Sissie has suicidal tendencies and is emotionally needy. She moves in with Brandon early in the film and the emotional tension mounts between the siblings as the movie progresses. Each sees the serious, devastating issues in the life of the other. Brandon's sexual addition and his relationship with Sissie become intertwined and form the two themes of this movie.
The movie makes have use of atmosphere to establish the sordid character of Brandon's mind.... Read more ›
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By schumann_bg
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
Shame has a brilliant performance from Michael Fassbender but in the end I find it a bit disappointing, having heard many good things about it. The string music has an earnestness a bit like Arvo Part that is quite grating, as it keeps announcing that we are meant to take everything very seriously, but in the end there is more atmosphere than substance. By not filling us in on the background of the brother and sister Steve McQueen seems to suggest that we should not be trying to explain too much, or if we do, it should be purely in terms of the environment. Admittedly this is dismal, with a totally soulless 'chic' that is meant to seem desirable but is completely empty. As for the sex addiction, Brandon seems a bit too driven for his own good and to have a block against anything meaningful occurring, which the film doesn't really explore. What is more problematic, for me, is that I suspect we are meant to find the well-heeled bars and the kind of people in them attractive, whereas to me this whole world is fairly dreadful. Brandon's boss is quite dislikeable, I think, his manner with women crude, and just a reflection of his outsize ego - he has a wife and children at home already. And the woman Brandon goes on a date with is presumably meant to seem like an open, loving person who is 'in touch with her emotions' and a good thing, if only Brandon realised it ... Once again I found this not to be the case; her coyness seemed a bit smug, and in the restaurant they were both rather cold to the waiter - something I never like - being very 'private' and above making an effort - except from her to Brandon. When the waiter asked how they were they didn't even deign to answer except with a rather cool thank you from her as she took the menu, effectively cutting him dead. Terrible behaviour!... Read more ›
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3.6 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
GET OUT OF MY ROOM!
This is an artsy adult film about a socially inept man addicted to porn, particularly Internet porn. His NY apartment is furnished a bit Spartan. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Michael
5.0 out of 5 stars
Feel guilty you love porn
A film about obsession for sex, lost and regret. Was absolutely shocking for me and it made me think of all this sick society. Brill movie director.
Published 21 days ago by Corina
1.0 out of 5 stars
waste of time
I found the film boring and a waste of an evening.
The main character was unbelievable ...seems every woman wants to have sex with him. Read more
The main character was unbelievable ...seems every woman wants to have sex with him. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Boz
4.0 out of 5 stars
Just like watching one of my home movies...
...just kidding.
A great film I thought. Fassbender was excellent, as was Mulligan. Both are building fantastic bodies of work. Read more
A great film I thought. Fassbender was excellent, as was Mulligan. Both are building fantastic bodies of work. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. T. Ford
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fassbender, what a revelation
Shame as to be one of the best films I've seen in years, the intensity in Fassbender's performance is something to see and experience.
Published 1 month ago by A O Okhumoya
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very daring
Thoroughly enjoyable and very explicit scenes without being pornographic, a worthwhile purchase which can be enjoyed repeatedly, so glad i purchased it
Published 2 months ago by Reg Bourne
1.0 out of 5 stars
Shame on me for watching this movie
I thought Hunger was an amazing movie. Well done to the director (McQueen) for that masterpiece. However shame on me. Yes, Shame on me for watching this car crash of a movie. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Billy Ray Cyrus
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shamelessly brilliant.
That is what it is. Just shamelessly brilliant. Steve McQueen is a super talented director and and one to watch out for new upcoming movies like first to come 12 Years A Slave (... Read more
Published 2 months ago by sunrisespacelab
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thought Provoking Drama
Simply loved that so much was left up to the viewer's imagination. Not an easy film to watch at times and none of the characters particularly nice people, but so glad I did! Read more
Published 2 months ago by Miss Susan Park
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fassbender
I am a passionate Fassbender admirer and this is some of his best acting. I would not say the best, purely because that would be putting all his other spectacular acting abilities... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Keira Thomson
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