Shame
Shame does not appear to be a factor for the principles of this dark and erotic drama since most of them spend significant time on screen without benefit of clothing. The film stars Michael Fassbender as Brandon Sullivan, a stellar New York executive who seems to be totally together. His lifestyle gets a little cramped however when his suicidal sister Sissy Sullivan (Carey Mulligan) comes to stay and things don’t improve when she sleeps with David Fisher (James Badge Dale) Brandon’s married boss. By the way Brandon’s lifestyle is not really as together as his coworkers believe. In private a mutually attractive woman can’t arouse him but porn, prostitutes and casual gay sex always seem to work pretty well. In this his sophomore offering, director Steve McQueen heightens the story’s ubiquitous anxiety with a stylish pace which his terrific cast deliver perfectly. That doesn’t make it any easier to watch though. At one point Sissy pleads with Brandon that “we’re not bad people we just come from a bad place”. Trouble is about all we know regarding where they came from is Ireland by way of New Jersey. Perhaps a little more flesh there would explain all the flesh on screen, but there isn’t. Maybe that is the real shame.