Film Review: Shame [dir. Steve McQueen; 2011]

Michael Fassbender is without any question one of the finest English-speaking actors working at the moment and I have no doubt that he formulated detailed, intelligent reasons to explain why his character in this particular movie has reached such an extreme degree of emotional isolation. I just wish that this internal planning had been made more overt on screen. Through a series of increasingly tortured incidents – some of which are compelling and moving – McQueen presents several days in the life of a man whose uncontrollable craving for sexual experiences leads him ever closer to self-destruction. But despite the commendable performances and the explicit nature of several scenes, the film remains opaque and rather superficial.