Venice: "Shame" Is a Masterpiece
Monday, September 5, 2011 at 3:30PM My favourite movie of the Venice Film Festival was undoubtedly, Shame by British video-artist Steve McQueen, which screened yesterday and met with universal acclaim. A desperate, gloomy tale of sex-addiction, urban-desolation and self-mortification, Shame is directed with such powerful, astonishing visual style by McQueen and acted with such raw, full commitment by Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan (vulnerable, sassy and fascinating), that it’s all but impossible that it will be ignored by the Venice jury.
Care Mulligan and Michael Fassbender are siblings in SHAME
McQueen and his cinematography Sean Bobbit (who also lensed Hunger) capture a ghostly, liquid New York City, which sets the perfect atmosphere of loneliness and despair for Brandon’s (Fassbender) compulsive acts of sexual abjection. Shame is uncompromising bleeding cinema. It’s also deeply moving and compassionate in the depiction of the relationship between Brandon and his sister Sissy (Mulligan) who unexpectedly breaks into his apartment asking for help and forcing him out of his shell of frozen emotions.
Continue for more on Shame and Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis follow-up.
The wise screenplay by Abi Morgan never judges the characters behavior or tries to explain it away, making the story far more unsettling and universal. McQueen, who achieved feature debut acclaim with Hunger (2008), confirms himself as an extraordinary talent: he uses long, often silent, shots and extreme close-ups to enter the soul of Brandon and his equally damaged sister. Fassbender’s face and his nervous, tense body show us everything (even the absence of emotions) without saying a word. Particularly successful is the night-club sequence where Mulligan sings in real time a bluesy, intimate rendition of “New York New York” that will forever change your idea of this otherwise energetic, sparkling song. A masterpiece.
Finally...
Marjane Satrapi reacts to a lengthy standing ovation. Photograph © Fabrizio Spinetta
I missed the screening of Poulet aux Prunes (Chicken With Plums) which is Marjane Satrapi's mostly live action follow-up to her memorable animated debut Persepolis. The general response by critics was very positive, with many calling it a cute bittersweet movie in the vein of Amélie. The audience was even more enthusiastic; my friend and photographer Fabrizio Spinetta reported from the evening screening that there was a standing ovation of 20 minutes (photo above). We can only wait and see if meets the jury's tastes but it's one of the most well received films in competition.
Editor's Note: This is Ferdi's last post from Venice as he has returned home after soaking up those high profile first four days of goodies. Please give him a round of applause in the comments for sending such great original photos and sharing his notes on Carnage, A Dangerous Method, W.E., Contagion, and The Ides of March. Or you can survey all the Venice related posts here.
Thanks again, Ferdi! - Nathaniel
Reader Comments (11)
Very exciting. Shame may have just been bumped into my most anticipated film of the year spot.
Way to go out on a high note, Ferdi! Thanks for all the reports.
Could mulligan be headed for a 2nd oscar nomination?
Nick -- yes. hear hear Ferdi. Thanks for such quick reliable reports. Festivals are crazy busy so that's devotion.
Mr Ripley -- i suppose it depends on how accessible the film is. I was just saying on Twitter that though i was a rabid fan of HUNGER i knew mainstream awards bodies would never go near it. I wonder if HUNGER paved enough of an acclaiemd road for this one to hurdle that problem or if it'll still be too art film for awards groups? But more importantly: i just want to see the film.
Thanks Ferdi for the reports.
And I'm glad I have TIFF tickets for Shame (and Chicken with Plums). After your exciting words on the former, I couldn't be more impatient to see it.
Thanks a lot to Ferdi for this awesome and honest reports and pictures!
I heard Harvey Weinstein was at the Shame screening. Will they distribute it?
Seems like Carey and Keira are having the spotlights.
Ferdi, thanks a million! These write-ups are so invaluable, it was wonderful to have our own TFE spy(s) in the mix. :D
I love how unexpected all this acclaim for Shame throws a wrench in the rest of the year, till it actually comes out in the US. The hype will be HUGE for it now. Hopefully this also means way way WAY more people check out Hunger as well. A stunner, that one was.
YAY. Glad to hear Chicken With Plums was a success! That was one of my personal babies I was rooting for, being such a huge fan of Marjane Satrapi and Persepolis (Ratatouille was great but she was robbed @ the Oscars, I'll still say) so I'm incredibly pleased it went over well as a 20 min standing ovation is very impressive indeed.
Thank you Ferdi! It was a pleasure reading your reports and seeing the photos!
Thanks Ferdi for your thoughts on the film you saw, and for the pictures!
Shame sounds so exciting, I cannot wait to see it.
Ferdi thank you so much! I've enjoyed reading every one of your reports. I admit I haven't seen Hunger but will definitely have to now (I doubt my area will get Shame any time in the near future, if even this year). And this is the first I have heard of "Chicken with Plums" and it's on my must-see list now as well, I loved Persepolis (definitely with Mark on the "should'a got an Oscar" train for that one.)
Thank you so much for all your comments! It was a great pleasure being the TFE italian correspondant for the first five days. Nathaniel, you should try to come to Venice next year!