Shame
***Warning, contains spoilers***
I didn't realise something. I didn't realise that the brilliant director Steve McQueen directed 3 'big name' movies not 2. I knew about the epic 12 Years A Slave and of course I recently watched and reviewed the outstanding 5 star movie Widows but I didn't know there was a third movie. Not until a mate of mine Dominic told me.
So, this morning I watched the movie Shame, which revolves around two characters really. The main character, Brandon, played by the outstanding actor Michael Fassbender, and his sister, Sissy, played by Carey Mulligan.
Whilst not in the league of his other two big movies, Shame is certainly an outstanding piece of movie making. I think what surprises me with McQueen is his ability to direct so many different types of movie, the stories on all three movies he's directed are so different, although I can see some similarities between 12 Years A Slave and Widows, yet he is able to effortlessly jump from directing one type of movie to another, and that takes some talent!
Shame is a hard movie to describe because of its content. In truth the movie is almost pornography there is no other way to say it although there is so much more to the movie than that.
Brandon is a sex addict. He literally can't stop himself. He uses his work computer to watch porn, he plays with himself during the day in the toilets at work and he uses prostitutes. It gets to the stage where he literally can't function in a normal relationship due to all the porn he has watched. This movie is a great lesson on what porn can do to you because it has literally ruined his life and the more he watches porn and uses prostitutes, the more he's caught up in a vicious cycle to need it more and to do more and more disturbing things to satisfy his craving. The scene in the bar with the woman that had a boyfriend standing right there is evidence of this.
On top of that you have his sister Sissy that comes to stay with him. She is homeless, moving from place to place and living with different blokes but is certainly not a sex addict like Brandon. She is also an excellent singer and there is an amazing scene in a restaurant where she sings an entire song in real time, beautifully.
Unfortunately, Sissy ends up sleeping with Brandons boss and everything goes wrong. What Brandon doesn't realise is that what sissy is doing is a cry for help and there is a very upsetting scene near the end of the movie where you will be silently begging the director to move onto another scene it's that upsetting. I was watching that scene through my fingers!
In conclusion this was a great first big movie for McQueen and of course since then he's gone onto bigger and better things but there are two huge lessons to learn from this movie and they are 1) porn can easily ruin your life in so many different ways, your relationships, your actual sex life etc etc and 2) Never ignore a cry for help no matter how subtle it is and stay in contact with your family and friends, before it's too late.
A well directed well acted movie, not quite 5 stars but a well earned 4.5 stars and I'd strongly recommend it if you're over 18! Well done McQueen you did it again!
*This review is all my own work, please don't reproduce without my permission but please visit my advertisers pages as they help keep the blog going thankyou :)
I didn't realise something. I didn't realise that the brilliant director Steve McQueen directed 3 'big name' movies not 2. I knew about the epic 12 Years A Slave and of course I recently watched and reviewed the outstanding 5 star movie Widows but I didn't know there was a third movie. Not until a mate of mine Dominic told me.
So, this morning I watched the movie Shame, which revolves around two characters really. The main character, Brandon, played by the outstanding actor Michael Fassbender, and his sister, Sissy, played by Carey Mulligan.
Whilst not in the league of his other two big movies, Shame is certainly an outstanding piece of movie making. I think what surprises me with McQueen is his ability to direct so many different types of movie, the stories on all three movies he's directed are so different, although I can see some similarities between 12 Years A Slave and Widows, yet he is able to effortlessly jump from directing one type of movie to another, and that takes some talent!
Shame is a hard movie to describe because of its content. In truth the movie is almost pornography there is no other way to say it although there is so much more to the movie than that.
Brandon is a sex addict. He literally can't stop himself. He uses his work computer to watch porn, he plays with himself during the day in the toilets at work and he uses prostitutes. It gets to the stage where he literally can't function in a normal relationship due to all the porn he has watched. This movie is a great lesson on what porn can do to you because it has literally ruined his life and the more he watches porn and uses prostitutes, the more he's caught up in a vicious cycle to need it more and to do more and more disturbing things to satisfy his craving. The scene in the bar with the woman that had a boyfriend standing right there is evidence of this.
On top of that you have his sister Sissy that comes to stay with him. She is homeless, moving from place to place and living with different blokes but is certainly not a sex addict like Brandon. She is also an excellent singer and there is an amazing scene in a restaurant where she sings an entire song in real time, beautifully.
Unfortunately, Sissy ends up sleeping with Brandons boss and everything goes wrong. What Brandon doesn't realise is that what sissy is doing is a cry for help and there is a very upsetting scene near the end of the movie where you will be silently begging the director to move onto another scene it's that upsetting. I was watching that scene through my fingers!
In conclusion this was a great first big movie for McQueen and of course since then he's gone onto bigger and better things but there are two huge lessons to learn from this movie and they are 1) porn can easily ruin your life in so many different ways, your relationships, your actual sex life etc etc and 2) Never ignore a cry for help no matter how subtle it is and stay in contact with your family and friends, before it's too late.
A well directed well acted movie, not quite 5 stars but a well earned 4.5 stars and I'd strongly recommend it if you're over 18! Well done McQueen you did it again!
*This review is all my own work, please don't reproduce without my permission but please visit my advertisers pages as they help keep the blog going thankyou :)
Comments
Post a Comment