Shame, 360, and Safety Not Guaranteed

Shame is a modern-day classic. One of the bravest films I have ever seen because of the subject it shows: sex addiction. Richard Fassbender (Brandon) is really brave to take on this role of a lifetime.

The film just shows us the life of a sex addict, who has an independent apartment and a good job because he is able to pay for regular sex. He knows that he is an addict and how he uses sex to abuse himself. He knows that there is no way out than indulge. He does not seek pleasure for having sex has become a necessity like eating bread daily. Just plain bread.

We see a change in his attitude when his only sister Carrey Mulligan (Sissy) visits him and stays over for a few days. She is a vagabond singer who takes up gigs. We learn that she recently had a breakup from her boyfriend. In the first scene of their interaction, we come to know that there are past bridges between the two siblings that were not healthy. Probably, they had incestuous parents and/or they themselves had an incestuous relationship.

We see how they are still redeeming themselves from their past in opposite ways: Sissy clings to him for love, attachment, proximity while he detests all emotions. He can’t emote love, he can’t make love, he can only have sex. In fact, we see how Brandon guards his secret sex life even from his boss, who has casual sex or is looking for it every time he goes out with Brandon.

The independent and individual close-up shots of the Brandon (towards the end when he is having a threesome) and Sissy (when she is singing) show their caliber. Brandon is incapable of an orgasm; he just ejaculates. We see one of the best master shots/close-ups when we see him ejaculating with fear, pain, loathe…

The movie does not preach, does not deliver hope, cure, or a solution… but we do.

To read a better review of this movie, please visit: Roger Ebert's website.

360 is the kind of slice-of-life film that seamlessly showcases lives of different characters across the globe. All the characters are either in love, falling in love, or falling out of love. They are all dealing with loss, separation, and identity crises in one way or another.

The screenplay and cinematography come out winners in this one; Anthony Hopkins shines in an amazing monologue he delivers at a group therapy session. 

Yes, I loved 360.

Safety Not Guaranteed is an unpretentious film; it knows that it is a small-budget, realistic movie about an event that may or may not happen/have happened!

Just like all the characters in the film, we too are clinging to the past in more ways than one. Somebody is clinging to nostalgia, somebody to youth, and somebody to the loss of a dear one.

Among all this, we see an eccentric, departmental store clerk releasing a classified ad seeking a partner to accompany him in time travel to the past.

The classified ad:

“WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED.”

This is where the movie starts having fun with us. I loved the film and will watch it again. J