Keswick Film Club - Shame

Synopsis

For those who saw McQueen‘s first movie, Hunger, his second could not come quick enough. Hunger took us to the world of the IRA and hunger strikes, giving the story from both sides, but avoiding any judgement. His second film, Shame, takes the same approach to a very different topic; sexual addiction.

Brandon (Michael Fassbender again) is shown against a cold, glass and metal New York backdrop, where his high paid corporate lifestyle mirrors his cold (lack of love) life. He is not content picking up women on the subway, but needs call-girls and porn to keep him going. His carefully controlled life is thrown into disarray when his equally messed up sister arrives. Sissy (Carey Milligan) is a club singer with problems of her own. The question that McQueen raises - 'is the Shame of the title the cause or the reason for their life choices?' - I leave you to decide.