Ooh, NC-17? Isn’t that dirty? Well, kinda. NC-17 is the rating that’s supposed to be used to separate intense filmmaking from the XXX sleazefests that pop up in adult movie theaters. You know, the theaters where the floor is sticky, and it’s not because of the butter on the popcorn. Okay, now I feel dirty. But sadly this rating has typically been given back-of-the-bus treatment, hoping that one day a film with this rating will resonate with viewers and grant it the respect it deserves.
Shame is the latest NC-17 film to hit theaters, and it stars X-Men: First Class hottie Michael Fassbender as a man who is a slave to his sexual addictions. He’s able to keep his work life and play life separate until his hippie vagabond sister Sissy (yeah, the name’s pretty stupid, but it’s the awesome Carey Mulligan from An Education) moves in. Ready for the pr0n to hit the fan? Well, it never quite explodes. Much like a peep show, Shame is all flash and no substance, a movie that promises a deep look at a racy subject but leaves the audience unfulfilled.
