Shame (2011)

Directed by: Steve McQueen | 99 minutes | drama | Actors: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, Lucy Walters, Mari-Ange Ramirez, James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie

The second film from director Steve McQueen is also the second collaboration with born actor Michael Fassbender. In a style similar to McQueen’s debut ‘Hunger’ (2008), Sean Bobbitt’s subtle camerawork follows lead actor Brandon, who suffers from a sex addiction – and really suffers – which he struggles to handle until his sister moves in with him. . The downward spiral of the characters is shown here with no signs of greatness made by cast and crew. Truly realistic and rough we see what an addiction is, because we watch with the camera how Brandon loses control of his life.

The great stories about the rating in America are slightly exaggerated. Although we see both Carey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender completely naked, the images can hardly be called erotic. Shocking and disturbing all the more. And so Mulligan and Fassbender continue their advances in Hollywood with their performances, and we see yet another generation conquer the film world.

The film’s screenplay was nuanced by Abi Morgan, a playwright who brought in McQueen to turn all the characters into living characters. With the cast involved, biographies were thought out and written down, down to the smallest detail, after which they could get into their roles. We see Fassbender and Mulligan acting not only in their talk, but also in their silence. A glance, a slight contraction of the muscles, the slight bending of the head, only to explode a moment later. The similarities with ‘Hunger’ (which McQueen also wrote together with a theater scriptwriter) are so beautiful and obvious.

‘Shame’ is so complete. Steve McQueen made a perfect successor to his debut. Not a single flaw can be discovered on further entanglement in image, sound, script or direction. Up to the – subtle – editing, everything has been meticulously worked out by a great directorial talent from whom we can expect a lot.