Shame

Fresh-faced from the frosty night during which I've seen Steve McQueen's new film "Shame".

Word to the uninformed: Steve McQueen is the name of the director, the 60s icon still being dead!

Seeing Shame was fascinating for a number of reasons.  First of all I feel compelled to compare it to War Horse because there certifications are miles apart, their subject matter utterly different and there mood and pace incomparable.

What I realised is that my reaction to War Horse was to do with the mood communication.  What I saw of the film was a non-stop assault on my senses and it utterly destroyed my composure because it was an upsetting theme, shown in an upsetting way with far too little done in terms of balance - that is, by way of humour or what have you.  All of this was compacted by the fact that after the first few minutes, the pace is bone-jarringly relentless.

Shame, on the other hand, is another study in slow build - very similar in style to Harry Brown and Drive.  A lot of people don't like this style and I can easily understand why, but to me it makes very painful subject matter more accessible precisely because it is a very gradual descent into the mindset of the main character: Harry Brown's vengeful rage, Drive's protective homicide and Shame's self-absorbed sex addiction.

There are brief moments where the film verges on ridiculous - notably the nude scenes at the opening; but I think overall these moments are intended to be visually humorous, albeit in a very adult way.  It's all part of a very underplayed introduction that just barely confirms the synopsis of Michael Fassbender's character as an addict.

His sister - wittily name Sissy - is played by the adorable Carey Mulligan.  I can't help but wonder at her presence in another so emotionally intense film.  When Brandon (Fassbender) discovers her arrival at his apartment, the 80s classic 'I Want Your Love' is playing.  It's not a subtle herald, but there is something wonderfully acceptable about it all the same.

The film is full of such delightful little touches, including the much praised scene of Sissy's rendering of 'New York, New York', which despite himself, moves Brandon to tears.

Without giving too much away, the film is as much about the twisted dynamic of the sibling relationship as it is about Brandon's addiction.  It is difficult subject matter but it is handled as tastefully as the vehicle allows, and the descent is very gentle indeed and through the skills of both McQueen and Fassbender, by the end we actually feel sorry for Brandon and hope for better things.