Rent Shame (2011)

A bit pointless - Shame review by Pete W

A weak storyline and characters who are uniformly unsympathetic made for a pretty tedious film. No redeeming features really.

Boring, pretentious, yawn-inducing, pointless, un-profound, silly, tedious, turgid arty drivel! - Shame review by PV

This film was SO boring that the 2 people I was watching it with were yawning so much they had to go go to bed after 10 minutes. Me - I stayed with it. Well, that's an hour and a half of my life I'll never get back!

This film is AWFUL. It is all about an emotionally detached bloke in Noo Yoik (though of course I am sure the filmmakers were not trying to appeal to the US market...) who watches porn a lot and whose sister comes to stay. Various uninteresting things happens and then it ends. Very few words are spoken (this is seen as deep and meaningful and profound, apparently, in arty theatre circles) - but this film is not profound at all. It is just dull, forgettable, and seems to be desperately hoping to shock and get publoicity that way (sadly, that worked, which is why I heard of it).

This is a lesson in why NOT to give pretentious Saachi-slobbering artists a film camera. Stick to the paintbox, eh. For all our sakes.

Half a star for the acting - no stars for the writing or the whole thing.

Just terrible.

One to save for when you invite your hated extended family round and want to get rid of them forever.

Worth watching - Shame review by CP Customer

Difficult to describe without giving too much away, good performances by both leads, thought-provoking and stylish.

A graphic, provocative & extremely uncomfortable film about addiction, with incredible performances - Shame review by TB

This is a film that pulls no punches. It is a beautifully shot, stunningly acted nightmare.

This is a film which poses the question "What if you were successful, had escaped your traumatic early life and had everything you wanted, but also were addicted to sex/sexual activity? And in today's world of internet pornography & easy hook-ups, you could have everything you could possibly want?" That question is answered in the most traumatic & searing way imaginable.

As with other films that deal with sex, the vast majority of the media attention was on the nudity & sex scenes. But this film is so much more than that. It is a difficult but compelling watch, full of long shots, acting without words, poignant pauses.

Michael Fassbender is phenomenal, a complete revelation. This is and probably will always be for me his best performance. Totally vulnerable, exposed and open. A character who literally is actively running towards his own destruction.

Carey Mulligan is also great, although I have to be honest and say that Sissy for me was in many ways a very annoying character. But she and her brother's shared trauma was powerful and a critical element of the story.

But there is for me one massive problem with this movie which prevents it getting 5 stars. Only in one scene, in a casual passing comment, is there any reference towards the dangers of what Brandon's behaviour could lead to. In this film world, there is no thought or mention of STI's, diseases or HIV/AIDS. And for a film who's themes are so focused on destruction & danger, for this to barely be mentioned is a real glaring omission.

But as a piece of work, it is incredible. I did love it and encourage you to watch it. You probably will only be able to watch it once and also won't want to have sex for a month afterwards though...