Black Sheep interviews Michael Fassbender

AIN'T NO SHAME
An interview with SHAME star, Michael Fassbender.

It can be a bit jarring to go from watching an actor on screen one minute to seeing them sitting directly in front of you the next. It can even be somewhat awkward when you’ve just watched said actor engage in a multitude of sexually explicit encounters on film. When the actor you’re speaking with though is as effortlessly talented as Michael Fassbender is, you quickly realize there is no shame in it at all.

In SHAME, British filmmaker, Steve McQueen’s sophomore effort, Fassbender is naked within minutes of the film starting, so it seems only fitting to begin our conversation there as well. “It’s kinda embarrassing,” says the actor who has nothing at all to be embarrassed about. At this point, I laugh out loud and when Fassbender realizes I’m shocked that he was the least bit shy given how good he looks, he jokes, “Oh I see. You were having a gay old time then.” On that note, the Irish-German actor is quite the charmer, even when fully clothed.

The 34-year-old Fassbender plays Brandon in SHAME, a sex addict living in New York City. It would seem to me that if you’re going to tell a sex addict’s story on film, you’re going to need to see a little sex happen but some people, let’s call them the more conservative film critics out there, have argued that Shame not only goes too far but that it relishes in its boundary pushing. “It’s ludicrous to me,” Fassbender explains, with only a hint of outrage. “You can take someone’s head off with a cheese cutter but heaven forbid should you show a penis.”

As much as it is about sex, SHAME isn’t really about sex at all; it’s about a person with an addiction. Brandon isn’t the easiest character to like either. He uses women whenever required and he is horribly unsupportive to his sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), but Fassbender was never concerned people wouldn’t come around to him. “I knew people were going to like him because I liked him, because he was a guy that knew he was ill. He is a product of our time.”

Despite Brandon’s timeliness, the Motion Picture Association of America has slapped an NC-17 rating on the film, which prohibits anyone under 18 years of age from seeing it, regardless of whether they are accompanied by an adult or not. Ordinarily, this rating means box office death but SHAME wears its badge proudly and is doing well in limited release despite it. “It can be a good thing,” Fassbender says of the rating. “The most important thing is to get people talking about it. That creates curiosity and it only seems to put more bums in the seats in the end.”

While Fassbender does see the controversy as a roundabout marketing push, he does not agree with the scrutiny itself. “Whatever rating people want to slap on it is kinda irrelevant. The fact is that I felt comfortable doing the scenes with Steve because I knew that it wouldn’t be exploitative. It’s real. It’s part of the story. It’s part of getting inside this guy’s head and where he’s coming from.”

A few cuts to the film could have brought the rating down to an R, to which Fassbender responds, “Good luck trying to convince Steve McQueen on that!” Fassbender and McQueen had previously worked together on McQueen’s debut feature, HUNGER, a 2008 film about the 1981 Irish Republican Army hunger strike, as led by Bobby Sands, whom Fassbender portrays in the film. (Incidentally, the two are scheduled to work together again on McQueen’s third feature, TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE, expected in 2014.) “He’s the only person I could have asked to do this,” McQueen tells me about casting Fassbender in SHAME. “I don’t believe he’s an actor. He doesn’t act. What he does is a different thing altogether.”

Whatever it is he does, Fassbender will be doing it for quite some time if he keeps up this pace. Upcoming projects for the Best Actor Oscar frontrunner include work with some of today’s most famed directors, from David Cronenberg (A DANGEROUS METHOD) to Steven Soderbergh (HAYWIRE) to Ridley Scott (PROMETHEUS), which is exactly where Fassbender wants his career to be. “The way it is at the moment is pretty perfect for me. I get to work with great filmmakers and that’s as simple as it gets. I just want to mix it up and keep myself guessing.”

And it would be an awful shame if he weren't allowed to continue doing just that.

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Blu-Tuesday: February 16

Black Sheep returns this week to highlighting the most exciting BD titles to grace store shelves on Tuesday's. This first Tuesday sees the release of a 2010 Oscar nominee for Best Costume Design, the 20th anniversary release of a contemporary classic and the film the Toronto Film Critics Association called the best of 2009.

GOODFELLAS

Director Martin Scorcese has another potential hit on his hands with the upcoming SHUTTER ISLAND coming out this weekend. Twenty years ago, he made what many of his fans would consider to be his last great film, GOODFELLAS. Sure, THE DEPARTED was a strong film but it is no match for this mafia tale. Warner Bros. has packaged this edition in one of their gorgeous BD books but if it were my anniversary, I wouldn't be too happy with the party I was just thrown. There is no question as to whether the film itself, starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci, stands the test of time but this new BD edition is no different whatsoever, in terms of extras or transfer, than the original BD release from 2007. If you don't own it already, now is clearly the time to change that. If you do, then really the only new thing you're getting is the book.

COCO AVANT CHANEL

Audrey Tautou (AMELIE) embodies the great fashion icon, Coco Chanel, in COCO AVANT CHANEL from French director, Anne Fontaine. If a film about fashion only manages to score one Oscar nomination in the Costume Design category, then I guess it succeeded where it was supposed to. And while it may not have seen any other love from the Academy, it certainly found a great deal of admiration from North American audiences. While it wasn't exactly my cup of tea, fashion admirers will find a lot to feast their eyes on.

HUNGER

I'll make this quick because I've just realized that this amazing film is finally available to own on BD and I don't own it yet! I must get to the stores before they close so I'll just say that this Criterion collection of Steve McQueen's debut feature, HUNGER, promises to honour the film the way it most certainly deserves. This is not an easy film to watch but with Michael Fassbender leading the way through this account of I.R.A. leader, Bobby Sands's infamous hunger strike, it is a film that will find your stomach turned and yet somehow hungry for more.

ALSO AVAILABLE:

LAW ABIDING CITIZEN (2009)
(Starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx)

BLACK DYNAMITE (2009)
(Modern cult favorite)

REVANCHE (2008)
(Criterion collection of Gotz Spielman film)

LOLA MONTES (1955)
(Criterion collection of Max Ophuls film)

DIRTY HARRY COLLECTION (1971-1988)
(Includes: DIRTY HARRY, MAGNUM FORCE, THE ENFORCER, SUDDEN IMPACT and THE DEAD POOL)

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Black Sheep's Top 10 of 2009

I sit before my computer on the last day of 2009. In a matter of hours, there will be so much going on that I will not be able find two minutes together to accomplish anything really so it's best that I get this done now, when I can give it the attention it truly deserves. 2009 was a great year for me and the movies. Early on in the year, I began publishing a regular monthly column on The Movie Network's "Movie Entertainment" magazine's website and it has since been picked up by The Movie Network itself. In April, I attended the Tribeca Film Festival for the first time and ended up meeting and interviewing one of my favorite director's, Steven Soderbergh. My interview with him about THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE would go on to be published on CBC's website. In May, I left my day job and prepared to move to Toronto, which I did in July. The summer was a great time to be unemployed and I managed to sustain myself on zero incoming cash until just after the Toronto International Film Festival. This year, I saw nearly 20 films at the festival, compared to a scant five the year before. I also had the chance to sit and interview the star and director of this year's indie success, PRECIOUS. I have had to return to working my day job now but 2010 awaits and I'm closer now than ever before.

Alright, so that's me. Now what about the movies? I knew all year that I was going to be leaving my day job at some point so I was able to get excited about a lot of the movies that were coming out this year. And a lot of them did not disappoint. As per usual, my full list of best performances and films will be coming soon with the announcement of the Mouton d'Or awards in January but the following is my Top 10 films of 2009, in alphabetical order. Even as I write these very words to you, I have a short list of eleven titles and I'm still not sure what will make it and what won't. The suspense is killing me! Anyway, here goes ... (click on any title for the full Black Sheep review)


(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
Directed by Marc Webb


I've seen this film three times and it makes me smile and feel good about everything every time. This anti-love story is so infectious and so enchanting that it somehow ignites my personal quest for love while simultaneously breaking down all the myths about love I've subscribed to all these years. The adorable Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are the cutest couple of the year!


DISTRICT 9
Directed by Neil Blomkamp


When I first saw this film, I was floored. It was original; it was exciting; I was completely convinced that South Africa had been overrun with alien life. It isn't every day that you catch a film that is visually remarkable, action packed and socially conscious at the same time with absolutely no trace of compromise. I was also pretty floored because the moment it ended, I knew it was going to find its way on this list.


AN EDUCATION
Directed by Lone Scherfig


This film was the toast of TIFF and I could not get in no matter how hard I tried. It was well worth the wait. Its classic style and subtle screenplay brought new perspective to the feminist plight. Star, Carey Mulligan carries the ecstasy of a first love with the jubilance of a little girl and the weight of the consequences to dating an older man with grace and restraint. I for one definitely felt like I learnt something.


FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Directed by Wes Anderson


Wes Anderson is a particular taste and I was thrilled to see that taste make a successful transition into the realm of animation. Watching this adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic is a constant delight. It truly digs its own path, striking the perfect balance between adult insight and childlike excitement throughout. In a world where Pixar owns the monopoly on satisfying adult animation (and rightfully so), it is refreshing to see that others out there can not only pull it off too but bring something new as well.


THE HURT LOCKER
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow


By now, you've no doubt seen this film on every Top 10 list in the world. It is an obvious choice but it is also the right choice. Bigelow managed to craft a highly explosive film about trying to make sure bombs don't go off. The film is naturally tense but all the more so because Bigelow sneaks us into this military bomb squad in Iraq by shooting from as many different perspectives as possible. Perhaps this is why it is the least judgmental Iraq war film to date.


PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL "PUSH" BY SAPPHIRE
Directed by Lee Daniels


From a filmmaking perspective, this one is certainly uneven at times but its boldness is so striking that it certainly earns its place amongst the best of the year. This story of a young woman, overweight, pregnant, illiterate and abused, is the most unlikely of success stories. It is fueled by some of the most brave performances of the year from one of the most eclectic casts of the year. It is Daniels though who deserves the biggest applause here for getting people to stop ignoring this girl and see her for who she is inside.


A SERIOUS MAN
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen


Who knew that the Coen Brothers could get so personal and still feel completely disassociated? Michael Stuhlbarg's incredible performance as Larry Gopnick allows this tale of misfortune to transcend its Jewish roots and become a tale for unlucky folks everywhere. Watching his life is like watching a train wreck just get worse and worse but somehow all the while, thanks to that special Coen touch, deep, genuine sympathy is inspired aplenty.


SIN NOMBRE
Directed by Cory Fukunaga


I cannot say enough good things about this first feature from Cory Fukunaga. Two complete strangers end up on the same journey to cross the Mexican border into the United States and neither their lives nor ours are the same for having the experience. Each of their characters is going through their own individual struggles but the solace they find in each other makes every hardship they suffer worth it. Fukunaga is a bold new voice.


A SINGLE MAN
Directed by Tom Ford


Fashion designer, Tom Ford's directorial debut, is just plain stunning. It's 1960's design is authentic and exquisite and the performances from Colin Firth and Julianne Moore are fresh and exciting for each of them. By adapting Christopher Isherwood's novel of the same name about a man coping with the death of his longtime lover in a world that doesn't acknowledge that love, Ford has made more than a film; he has also made a very compelling argument for gay marriage and the rights that should be afforded gay men and women everywhere. And naturally, he did it in style.


UP IN THE AIR
Directed by Jason Reitman


Films that are decidedly adult in theme and tone have struggled recently to connect with audiences but this one is so perfectly executed that it is not only reaching its audience but going far beyond it. The zeitgeist factors in this film, from the crumbling economic backdrop to the increasingly guarded approach towards love and human interaction, make it easy for most to identify with it. The entire cast (George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick) is lovely; the tone is respectful; and thanks to Reitman, the whole thing soars.


HONOURABLE MENTION: HUNGER
Directed by Steve McQueen


OK, so I found a way to cheat the Top 10. Don't hate on me. I did not include this film in the actual Top 10 as it is considered a 2008 entry but as it did not play in Canada until this year, it warrants mentioning. This 2008 festival favorite went unnoticed in North American cinemas this past spring but that doesn't shock me. Hunger strikes and graphic prison violence are not exactly crowd pleasers. If you are up for it, you must see this film. It will turn your stomach but it will furiously turn the wheels of your mind as well.

There you have it folks. These were my favorite films from 2009. Here is to an excellent 2010!

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