Big, Out-Loud Laughs From The Post-Screening Q&A For Shame

[Brendon Connelly]

Shame is a really rather good drama about a sex addict, played by Michael Fassbender, and his hurting, wanting sister, played by Carey Mulligan. It's the second feature film by the undeniably talented and ambitious Steve McQueen.

Earlier this week, preview screenings of the film took place in cinemas across the UK, complete with live video link-up to an after screening Q&A in a London cinema. As a result of the remote viewing, everybody in my screen was at liberty to laugh whenever somebody said something a bit silly, pretentious or surprising, and so they did. The audience exploded into laughter a good number of times.

What follows are the Steve McQueen quotes that prompted the big belly laughs. You'll think less of the members of my audience for some of these, but that's okay, you'll never have to meet them. And, thankfully, neither will Steve McQueen.

To get the best out of these quotes would be to see and hear them delivered by McQueen in person, but let me tell you about his manner to help set it up as well as possible. I think we can safely say he's a reluctant interviewee, that he doesn't suffer fools gladly, that he can be abrupt when he wants to be, but that he takes his film - and, yes, himself too - very seriously indeed. Imagine these lines delivered with a certain degree of impatience.

When I first heard of sexual addiction I laughed, as many of us do. But then you find out, like with alcohol addiction, people have to relieve themselves 25 times a day or more. It ceases to become funny.

He?s not a freak. He?s one of us, which is the whole point. He?s not a man with sweaty palms and a raincoat.

There was a hot dog van that we?d moved, but it had knocked into a stop sign and it fell down. And I thought that was fucking brilliant, excuse my language, and I just thought that was it. It was very simple, and I know people talk about that shot, but it?s just ?get on with it, keep shooting?. And that?s it. Next!

[Fassbender] finds his way and that?s it. It?s all about work. W-O-R-K.

Sex! Erm, I just liked the idea of sexual addiction! Because it?s not so far removed from any of us at all, in fact. Absolutely not. We?ve all had that craving for sex and we want it now.

When I first heard of NC-17 I thought it was a rap band, I had no idea and I don?t care. I?ll be honest, I?m not interested.

And the biggest laugh of all came shortly after McQueen said:

Everyone in this room knows what we?re talking about. Over 80 percent of internet traffic is pornography.

The camera cut to the audience just in time to show a shocked member of the audience, eyes bursting open, turning to a friend and saying "Really?"

She'd believed his statistic, as I'm sure he had too. I certainly don't.

Shame is in UK cinemas now. There's not really any laughs to be had during the film, but it is most definitely a strongly recommended picture. A few standout set pieces work really well - and perhaps, as a result, feel rather like conspicuous, distinct episodes, but nonetheless, they will grip you while they're underway.

[Jay Kay]

Yeah, I can see how some of that can be laughed at.

[davedare]

The screening that my girlfriend and I went to found a few laughs to be had in the film! There was definitely a sincere relationship between Fassbender and Mulligan that made for quite the believable sibling relationship. Definitely worth a watch!