When Fox Searchlight Pictures acquired Steve McQueen‘s Shame for distribution in the US, it was a risky move to say the least. This, after all, is a film that focuses on sex addiction and features full front nudity from both its two stars, pretty much guaranteeing an NC-17 rating.

However, it was also a bold move, for this is a film that features Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, two of the best young actors working today. Furthermore, it’s the second feature from the director who brought us the harrowing masterpiece Hunger. To say it had great expectations would be a great understatement.

After playing at Toronto and Venice to great acclaim (you can check out our review here), and with an upcoming screening at London Film Festival, Shame looks to have exceeded those hopes. Due to it’s explicit nature, it may not be an Oscar frontrunner or a box office hit, but it’s sure to please fans of McQueen and Fassbender and it may just be my most anticipated film of the whole year.

Now, via twitter, Fox have announced that the release date of Shame is less than 2 months away:

“Big news: we’re releasing Steve McQueen’s SHAME in the US on December 2nd, 2011!

Looks like they’ll have to get an advertising campaign going pretty shortly but this is great news for film fans. Lets just hope McQueen stays firm on his decision that nothing will be cut. After stripping to the barebones of visceral acting in Hunger, Fassbender is said to have another intense role here, but the film is supposed to be more mainstream (albeit less than most films) and to have more of a narrative feel. Check out the most recent clip here featuring Fassbender with his co-star James Badge Dale.

So perhaps it will reach more people than the director’s last feature. The talent involved in this is considerable, and coupled with the fact it’s set in New York City, it will hopefully make a decent amount of money when it goes up against We Need To Talk About Kevin.

Synopsis:

Brandon is a 30-something man living in New York who is unable to manage his sex life. After his wayward younger sister moves into his apartment, Brandon’s world spirals out of control. From director Steve McQueen (Hunger), Shame is a compelling and timely examination of the nature of need, how we live our lives and the experiences that shape us.

Were you a fan of Hunger? Will you be going to see Shame?