Shame

Shame ist ein sehr realistischer, manchmal fast anzüglicher Einblick in das Leben eines Mannes, der von Sex besessen ist und sich dessen nicht schämt, aber die Umstände verlangen, dass er sein derzeitiges (und wirklich leeres) Leben überdenkt. Die Leistungen sind atemberaubend, sowohl Fassbender als auch Mulligan spielen ihre Rollen mit Bravour und Verve. Die Geschichte selbst mag nicht perfekt sein (zumindest für mich), aber sie lässt mich oft erschaudern, vor allem, weil sie so authentisch ist. Ich muss auch Harry Escotts scheinbar fade, aber umso deprimierendere Filmmusik loben. Kurzum, ein Film, der mich weder umgehauen hat, noch mich auf den Hintern fallen ließ (wie viele andere), aber dennoch sehenswert ist. (27.06.2013)

Whether you wake up alone in the morning, next to a steady partner, or with someone different every day, Shame attacks the core of each of us. Brandon's behavior may start out as just a casual walk with various sexual undertones, but the last half hour takes all the psychological weight and throws it into the viewer's lap. The mental pain, which increasingly radiates from Fassbender's eyes, didn't repel me, destroy me, but rather incredibly fascinated me. A film that only in the last seconds definitively proves how complex and deep it is. (28.07.2012)

An emotionally complex masterpiece, the likes of which have not been seen in a long time (especially within the genre). Steve McQueen, much like Woody Allen, revolves around societal relationship issues, but in a completely different way. He is shocking, he is perverse, he is minimalist and intense. Flawless in terms of acting, in terms of visuals, New York is squeezed to the maximum, and the music is brilliant. A magnificent musical motif for such a minimalist film, and yet it works. It would be difficult to improve anything. A film that defines the 21st century on a social level a work of art. (07.06.2013)

My low rating is not related to the shock of sexually explicit scenes or the lack of even minimal identification with the main character. It stems from the fact that Brandon was uninteresting to me from the beginning and I quickly felt from the film an artificially created situation and a superficial story. Simply put, I was bored and found the movie detached. Overall impression: 25%. (19.02.2018)

What has happened to us? We are crumbling under the pressure of the modern age, we pretend that nothing is happening and try to blend in with the crowd to survive, only to turn back into our real selves when we are alone in private. We turn into unstable individuals who don’t belong anywhere, with an inclination to... experiment. Shame deals with advanced sexual addiction and portrays a man in the final stage of decay, culminating with the arrival of his sister. And this results in a couple of scenes that are nightmarish for every brother. An absolutely precise acting performance by Michael Fassbender (where is that Oscar nomination?) draws you into the sleazy world of success, opportunity but also emptiness. With him, we observe mere silhouettes of people with whom he enters into relationships, either bed or work-related, we see his efforts to escape and failures accompanying such attempts. And even the punishments he gives himself for his failures. A very distinctive and slow-paced movie certainly not to everyone’s taste, or understanding, or even misinterpretation. If just for that unbelievably strong scene in the metro (the ravishing Lucie Walters) at the beginning of the movie it deserves all the stars. (18.03.2012)