17, 20 and 23 Feb
Brandon (Michael Fassbender) has a successful career as a financial trader, and the clinically stylish apartment in New York to go with it. The epitomy of “having it all.” Behind the Alpha male façade, though, is a destructive addiction to sex – anywhere, anytime, just so long as it doesn’t require intimacy. When his sister (Carey Mulligan) descends uninvited, seeking his support, the delicate equilibrium with which he keeps his worlds separate teeters.
The film is a riveting, haunting exploration of the legacy of childhood abuse, a situation hinted at but never discussed. Both are struggling to contain the urge to damage themselves, Brandon through the debasement of commercial sex and his sister through casual encounters. Although what we see on screen is sometimes unpalatable, it is difficult to turn away from the the two leads. Working once again with Fassbender, director Steve McQueen (Hunger) is relentless in his pursuit of painfully raw performances, show-cased within distinctively long shots. (Watch – whole scenes are played without edits.) It sets a high tide mark for ambitious film making; alongside We Need to Talk About Kevin, perhaps, as this year’s most challenging and most rewarding of films.
Loading ...