I really pity the viewers who came to Shame looking for a sexy movie (Fassbender? Sex addict? Sounds hot!) because dear lord it was brilliant in how incredibly unsexy it was. This isn't a run of the mill action movie plot: "A" is what caused "B" to happen and "C" is how "B" is solved! Happy ending! Nope. The lead character is a sex addict and it doesn't matter how he got to that point because this is his life and he is a monster: a creature of pure sensation and it's tearing him apart. McQueen isn't going to hand you a tidy ending, either because, in truth, that's not how the world works. It's open ended and, by the end it's very possible that Brandon has literally gone nowhere though you're left shaking in your seat. This isn't a easy film and, if you're not into thinking, skip this one. It's raw, it's grotesque, it's grueling, and it's painful. It's unsettling. You're all at once disgusted by and sorry for Brandon. Fassbender's performance is nothing short of awe inspiring

Not a film for everyone, but for those who love brilliant performances, you will not be unhappy. Michael Fastbinder gives a brilliant performance and if he isn't nominated for an Oscar, there is no justice in the world. Carey Mulligan also gives an award winning performance.

Watching someone who is completely shut down emotionally is like watching paint dry. Very slow and boring, with a couple of good shots. Overall, not worth the time or money.

That this movie is getting good reviews. I typically like 'off the wall' types of movies and went into this with very high expectations given the reviews. Unfortunately I left extremely disappointed. I expected to see an emotional story about how someone could become a sex addict and the affect it can have on someone's life. Instead all you learn about the main character is....really nothing other than he likes to have sex and **********. There is no real story whatsoever, the scenes are way too long & make you feel uncomfortable and really serve no purpose. I mean why do we need to see a 30 second scene of him riding up an elevator OR a 10 minute rendition of his sister singing a depressing version of a song about New York. Okay I get that she's depressed and New York hasn't served her well but scenes like that just gave the movie a very monotonous feel.

Everyone's talking about Fassbender's performance (and rightfully so, this is one of his most brutally honest), but Carey Mulligan's Sissy is equally as sad and demanding as Fassbender's Brandon. Both characters crave the attention it's implied they never got growing up, and both chase the impossible. For Brandon, he can't have sex with the one girl in the whole film that he had a connection with. For Sissy, it's choosing unavailable men over and over. While a lot complain about the amount of nudity, I found it refreshing. How many times have you seen a movie in which a character's had sex and then suddenly has boxer shorts on when he gets out of bed. Or grabs a towel or a sheet to walk around his apartment, despite sleeping in the nude (and no one else being there). McQueen's pictures shun dialogue a good deal of the time, but when the characters DO talk, they've got something to say. Fassbender broke me with several uncomfortably long shots as he goes through a series of emotions.