Shame (2011 film)
Encyclopedia
Shame is an erotic drama film
co-written and directed by Steve McQueen
, starring Michael Fassbender
and Carey Mulligan
. Shame was co-produced by Film4
and See-Saw Films
. Shames explicit sexual scenes resulted in this film being rated NC-17 in the United States.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
paid around $400,000 to acquire the United States distribution rights of Shame, and they will release this film in limited theatrical release in the United States on December 2, 2011.
) is a 30-something yuppie
living in New York who is unable to manage his sex life and urges. After his wayward younger sister (Carey Mulligan
) moves into his apartment, Brandon’s world spirals out of control.
worked with actor Michael Fassbender
on the 2008 film Hunger
, and chose him again to play the lead role in Shame. Actors Carey Mulligan
and James Badge Dale
joined the cast in December 2010 to play the little sister and boss, respectively, of Fassbender's character. Screenwriter Abi Morgan
was chosen to produce the script, making it one of two films she is currently working on with Film4 (the other being The Iron Lady
).
in the main competition. Fassbender won a Volpi Cup
for best actor at the Venice Film Festival for his role in the film. It was also screened at The 36th Toronto International Film Festival
, The 49th New York Film Festival
, The 55th BFI London Film Festival and The 34th Starz Denver Film Festival
Shame will be officially released in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2012. Fox Searchlight will distribute the film in the US. The film was rated NC-17 (no one 17 and under admitted) by the Motion Picture Association of America
. Searchlight has not planned to appeal the rating or make cuts for the less-restrictive R rating. Searchlight president Steve Gilula said, "I think NC-17 is a badge of honor, not a scarlet letter. We believe it is time for the rating to become usable in a serious manner".
reports that 82% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 22 reviews, with an average score of 6.9/10, making the film a "Certified Fresh" on the website's rating system. At Metacritic
, which assigns a weighted mean
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average
score of 94, based on 4 reviews, which indicates "Universal Acclaim".
Roger Ebert
called Shame "a powerful film" and "courageous and truthful", commenting "I don't believe I would be able to see it twice" in a four-star review.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
co-written and directed by Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen (artist)
Steve Rodney McQueen CBE is a British artist and filmmaker. He is a winner of the Golden Camera at the Cannes Film Festival, a Turner Prize and BAFTA.-Early years:...
, starring Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Magneto in the superhero blockbuster X-Men: First Class...
and Carey Mulligan
Carey Mulligan
Carey Hannah Mulligan is an English actress. She made her film debut as Kitty Bennet in Pride & Prejudice . She had roles in numerous British programmes and, in 2007, made her Broadway debut in The Seagull to critical acclaim....
. Shame was co-produced by Film4
Film4
Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
and See-Saw Films
See-Saw Films
See-Saw Films is an independent film production company founded in 2008 by Emile Sherman and Iain Canning. See-Saw operates out of both London and Sydney.-History:...
. Shames explicit sexual scenes resulted in this film being rated NC-17 in the United States.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures, established in 1998, is a film division of Fox Filmed Entertainment alongside the larger Fox studio 20th Century Fox...
paid around $400,000 to acquire the United States distribution rights of Shame, and they will release this film in limited theatrical release in the United States on December 2, 2011.
Plot
Brandon (Michael FassbenderMichael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Magneto in the superhero blockbuster X-Men: First Class...
) is a 30-something yuppie
Yuppie
Yuppie is a term that refers to a member of the upper middle class or upper class in their 20s or 30s. It first came into use in the early-1980s and largely faded from American popular culture in the late-1980s, due to the 1987 stock market crash and the early 1990s recession...
living in New York who is unable to manage his sex life and urges. After his wayward younger sister (Carey Mulligan
Carey Mulligan
Carey Hannah Mulligan is an English actress. She made her film debut as Kitty Bennet in Pride & Prejudice . She had roles in numerous British programmes and, in 2007, made her Broadway debut in The Seagull to critical acclaim....
) moves into his apartment, Brandon’s world spirals out of control.
Cast
- Michael FassbenderMichael FassbenderMichael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Magneto in the superhero blockbuster X-Men: First Class...
as Brandon - Carey MulliganCarey MulliganCarey Hannah Mulligan is an English actress. She made her film debut as Kitty Bennet in Pride & Prejudice . She had roles in numerous British programmes and, in 2007, made her Broadway debut in The Seagull to critical acclaim....
as Sissy - Nicole BeharieNicole BeharieNicole Beharie is an American actress, born in West Palm Beach Florida on January 3, 1985.-Early life:She graduated from South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities, where she received a scholarship...
as Marianne - Hannah WareHannah WareHannah Ware is an English model/actress. She is known for her roles in the English language films Cop Out and Shame. She is currently portraying Emma Kane, the estranged addict daughter of Chicago mayor Tom Kane, in the STARZ series Boss.-Filmography:-External links:*...
as Samantha - James Badge DaleJames Badge DaleJames Badge Dale is an American actor who starred in the AMC drama series Rubicon. He is most famous for his role of Chase Edmunds in the third season of 24 and Robert Leckie in the HBO miniseries The Pacific.-Early years:...
as David
Development
Director Steve McQueenSteve McQueen (artist)
Steve Rodney McQueen CBE is a British artist and filmmaker. He is a winner of the Golden Camera at the Cannes Film Festival, a Turner Prize and BAFTA.-Early years:...
worked with actor Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Magneto in the superhero blockbuster X-Men: First Class...
on the 2008 film Hunger
Hunger (2008 film)
Hunger is a 2008 film about the 1981 Irish hunger strike. It was written by Enda Walsh and Steve R. McQueen, who also directed. It was made by Blast! Films and commissioned by Channel 4 and Film4. It premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, winning the prestigious Caméra d'Or award for...
, and chose him again to play the lead role in Shame. Actors Carey Mulligan
Carey Mulligan
Carey Hannah Mulligan is an English actress. She made her film debut as Kitty Bennet in Pride & Prejudice . She had roles in numerous British programmes and, in 2007, made her Broadway debut in The Seagull to critical acclaim....
and James Badge Dale
James Badge Dale
James Badge Dale is an American actor who starred in the AMC drama series Rubicon. He is most famous for his role of Chase Edmunds in the third season of 24 and Robert Leckie in the HBO miniseries The Pacific.-Early years:...
joined the cast in December 2010 to play the little sister and boss, respectively, of Fassbender's character. Screenwriter Abi Morgan
Abi Morgan
Abi Morgan is a British playwright and screenwriter known for her works for television, such as Sex Traffic and The Hour, and the film Brick Lane...
was chosen to produce the script, making it one of two films she is currently working on with Film4 (the other being The Iron Lady
The Iron Lady (film)
The Iron Lady is an upcoming biographical film about former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, portrayed by Meryl Streep. Thatcher's husband, Denis Thatcher, will be portrayed by Jim Broadbent, and Thatcher's longest-serving cabinet member and eventual deputy, Geoffrey Howe, will be...
).
Filming
Production was scheduled to begin on location in New York in January 2011, though Fassbender later commented in an interview that he just began shooting his scenes in early March. Filming ended late May for re-shoots, and post-production began.Release and reception
Shame premiered at The 68th Venice Film FestivalVenice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
in the main competition. Fassbender won a Volpi Cup
Volpi Cup
The Volpi Cups are the principal awards given to actors at the Venice Film Festival. Formal acting awards were introduced in the second festival . Initially they were called Great Gold Medals of the National Fascist Association for Entertainment. The name Volpi Cup was introduced the following year...
for best actor at the Venice Film Festival for his role in the film. It was also screened at The 36th Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, The 49th New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
, The 55th BFI London Film Festival and The 34th Starz Denver Film Festival
Denver Film Festival
The Denver Film Festival is held in November, primarily in the Tivoli Union on the Auraria Campus and the new Denver Film Center/Colfax, in Denver Colorado...
Shame will be officially released in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2012. Fox Searchlight will distribute the film in the US. The film was rated NC-17 (no one 17 and under admitted) by the Motion Picture Association of America
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
. Searchlight has not planned to appeal the rating or make cuts for the less-restrictive R rating. Searchlight president Steve Gilula said, "I think NC-17 is a badge of honor, not a scarlet letter. We believe it is time for the rating to become usable in a serious manner".
Critical response
Shame has received very positive reviews. Review aggregate Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 82% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 22 reviews, with an average score of 6.9/10, making the film a "Certified Fresh" on the website's rating system. At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted mean
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 94, based on 4 reviews, which indicates "Universal Acclaim".
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
called Shame "a powerful film" and "courageous and truthful", commenting "I don't believe I would be able to see it twice" in a four-star review.
Won
- Venice Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
- Volpi Cup for Best ActorVolpi CupThe Volpi Cups are the principal awards given to actors at the Venice Film Festival. Formal acting awards were introduced in the second festival . Initially they were called Great Gold Medals of the National Fascist Association for Entertainment. The name Volpi Cup was introduced the following year...
— Michael FassbenderMichael FassbenderMichael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Magneto in the superhero blockbuster X-Men: First Class... - FIPRESCI Prize – Best Film
- CinemAvvenire Award – Best Film
- Volpi Cup for Best Actor
- Seville European Film Festival
- Best Actor — Michael FassbenderMichael FassbenderMichael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Magneto in the superhero blockbuster X-Men: First Class...
- Golden Giraldillo for Best Director — Steve McQueenSteve McQueen (artist)Steve Rodney McQueen CBE is a British artist and filmmaker. He is a winner of the Golden Camera at the Cannes Film Festival, a Turner Prize and BAFTA.-Early years:...
- Best Actor — Michael Fassbender
Nominated
- Venice Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
- Golden LionGolden LionIl Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...
– Best Film — Steve McQueenSteve McQueen (artist)Steve Rodney McQueen CBE is a British artist and filmmaker. He is a winner of the Golden Camera at the Cannes Film Festival, a Turner Prize and BAFTA.-Early years:...
- Golden Lion
- British Independent Film AwardsBritish Independent Film AwardsThe Moët British Independent Film Awards is an annual award ceremony celebrating achievement in independently funded British film and cinema. Nominations and jury are announced at the beginning of November with the award ceremony taking place in late November or early December.-History:The British...
- Best British Independent Film
- Best Director — Steve McQueenSteve McQueen (artist)Steve Rodney McQueen CBE is a British artist and filmmaker. He is a winner of the Golden Camera at the Cannes Film Festival, a Turner Prize and BAFTA.-Early years:...
- Best Screenplay — Steve McQueenSteve McQueen (artist)Steve Rodney McQueen CBE is a British artist and filmmaker. He is a winner of the Golden Camera at the Cannes Film Festival, a Turner Prize and BAFTA.-Early years:...
, Abi MorganAbi MorganAbi Morgan is a British playwright and screenwriter known for her works for television, such as Sex Traffic and The Hour, and the film Brick Lane... - Best Actor — Michael FassbenderMichael FassbenderMichael Fassbender is an Irish-German actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Magneto in the superhero blockbuster X-Men: First Class...
- Best Supporting Actress — Carey MulliganCarey MulliganCarey Hannah Mulligan is an English actress. She made her film debut as Kitty Bennet in Pride & Prejudice . She had roles in numerous British programmes and, in 2007, made her Broadway debut in The Seagull to critical acclaim....
- Best Technical Achievement – Editing — Joe Walker
- Best Technical Achievement – Cinematography — Sean BobbittSean BobbittSean Bobbitt BSC is a British cinematographer and is also in the camera and electrical department. He was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2004, won a BIFA in 2008, and got nominated for an Emmy in 2008-References:...
- Independent Spirit AwardsIndependent Spirit AwardsThe Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
- Best International Film