Shame
Directed by Steve McQueen
Starring Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie
Plot
Brandon (Fassbender) is a sex addict living in New York, whose lifestyle and obsession turns into self-destruction when his young, erratic sister Sissy (Mulligan) comes to stay.
I had wanted to watch Shame for a while, and as I had some time to kill today waiting for my new laptop to be delivered (which I am in love with, by the way!), I took the opportunity to finally see it on Netflix.
Seconds in to the film, I realised I wasn't quite emotionally prepared for it. It starts with a macabre scene between Brandon and a strange women on the tube, where playful flirting soon becomes uncomfortable, interspersed with shots of him paying women for sex. We soon identify Brandon as an extremely lonely man with an uncontrollable habit. I will warn you, if easily offended by sexual scenes or nudity, then steer clear of this one, because there's a lot of it. The whole film is very up-close and personal, particularly with Michael Fassbender, but what I think the director has done so well is make the sex scenes totally devoid of emotion and deglamourised (is that a word?), making them part of the story rather than gratuitous.
The only glimmer of hope we see is Brandon attempting to start a relationship with colleague Marianne; their chemistry in a voyeuristic scene of their first date brought a genuine smile to my face, and their almost-love scene is the only romantic one of the film.
Michael Fassbender is just incredible in this film. He fully commits himself to the role, and I think he is one of the best actors around at the moment. He simultaneously conveys the sinking feeling of despair with the mask of a charming man. Carey Mulligan is also brilliant, in probably the most outspoken role I've seen her in. She is brash and troubled and mesmerizing, and the scenes between Sissy and Brandon are the best of the film. The one seen from behind them on the sofa (in the image above), where Brandon finally expresses his anger towards her, had me holding my breath, it was so full of tension.
The direction is stunning, too; the shots are long and static (Sissy singing in the club, Brandon running off his impulses), often focusing on the characters midriffs rather than their faces, and this gives a very realistic feel. This realism is also created through the minimal dialogue and the fact a lot is expressed visually rather than verbally. Shame has been criticised for not having enough development of the siblings' troubled past (which was obviously influential in who they are now), but I think this reflects reality; unlike some, more mainstream, films, where character backgrounds are nicely summed up in a speech or a flashback, here the audience are left to imagine it for themselves. The soundtrack of mostly hypnotising classical piano music is also brilliant, giving a kind of poetic feel. That sounded kind of cheesy, but you'll know what I mean if you see it.
Shame has had a mixed reception; some felt it lacked in storyline, others think it a masterpiece. I personally loved it...it is more an observation into someone's life than a full story arc, making the emotion in it all the more visceral and moving.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Not quite perfect, but just about. Oh, and don't watch it with your parents, could get a little awkward.
Have you seen Shame?
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Jay Gatsby: "I knew it was a mistake for a man like me to fall in love..."
I have been so excited for this film! I know not everyone does, but I absolutely love Baz Luhrmann's version of Romeo & Juliet; how stylized it looks, the eccentricity of the camera angles and just the romance of the storytelling makes it one of my favourite films. When I heard he was taking on Gatsby, I was really looking forward to how he would interpret it.
I actually saw this film around 2 weeks ago, but have left writing the review till now just because..I wasn't really sure what to say!
First things first, The Great Gatsby looks amaaazing. I'll admit I saw it in 2D, so I can't speak for how it uses the third dimension but it was still beautiful, full of colour and decadence, visually showing the wealth and gluttony of the lives of the characters perfectly. The costumes are incredible and the party scenes are extraordinary, with every piece of the screen exuding life and glamour. It is quite in-your-face though, and kind of got a little bit much to be honest, because the film moves along so quick it is quite difficult to keep up! Despite that, weirdly, it feels long. Really long. Nearly 2 and a half hours!
I think the reason it feels so long is because there's a lack of actual storyline... for a start, it takes forever to actually meet Gatsby (though admittedly, when you do, there is literal fireworks) and there seems to be no cohesion between the scenes at the house and parties in between. This gets better as the film progresses, particularly after Gatsby and Daisy's affair is revealed to Tom Buchanan in a brilliant scene full of tension. Up until then, it kinda feels like nothing much is happening, making the audience impatient. This could maybe be down to the novel? I do own the book and have tried to read it several times, but it just never grabs me at the beginning so I haven't managed to finish it! Also, considering it is a love story, the really moving romantic moments that you want to see between Gatsby and Daisy are few and far between.
Without doubt, the best thing in The Great Gatsby is the man himself, played by Leonardo Dicaprio. He plays the legendary character with such subtlety and control, it really is brilliant to watch. You believe that his life of luxury has all been to impress the love of his life, and that he will never give up hope of getting her back. Leo can do no wrong for me anyway, but he really is the highlight of the film. Though, if I never hear the phrase 'old sport' again, it will be too soon. Seriously.
The other legendary character is that of Daisy Buchanan, played by Carey Mulligan. Don't get me wrong, she looks stunning, but I just wasn't convinced by her. She didn't seem worthy of Gatsby, which, again, could be all to do with the character, because Carey did play her part well. Her husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton) is also thoroughly one-dimensional, and Tobey Maguire is good as always, but just seems to be standing around watching everyone else.
There has been a lot of hype about the soundtrack, which does have a lot of my favourite artists including Florence Welch and Lana del Rey, but...I didn't love it. At times, particularly in the party scenes, it was really great and added to the atmosphere, but at others, it was jarring to what was on screen and just didn't seem to flow. This may just be me, but there you go.
Overall, I was a bit let down by The Great Gatsby, but that could have been a result of me building it up too much before seeing it! True to Tobey Maguire's voiceover, the only person you really like by the end of it is Gatsby himself.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Definitely a case of style over substance!
Have you seen The Great Gatsby?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie.
