Hunger [Steve McQueen, 2008]

• Steve McQueen surely earned his Camera d'Or for Hunger, a film whose visual audacity is bested only by its content. the picture is carefully divided into three acts: the brutality against the prisoners, Bobby Sands' unthinkably long conversation with an IRA-affiliated priest, and Sands' hunger strike and death.
• first act begins with the morning routine of Ray Lohan, who we are lead to believe is our protagonist until we see him put on prison guard uniform. isn't this a Bobby Sands biopic? McQueen's camera (d.p. Sean Bobbitt) focuses on the nuances of Lohan's routine -- the crumbs he brushes off his lap during breakfast are obviously a juxtaposition of what's to come; we see him washing his hands in the morning and then again at work, except the second time, his knuckles are bloodied.
• then we are introduced to a skinny new inmate who we find is not Bobby Sands? we follow him for a bit before finally getting to Bobby (played admirably by Michael Fassbender). I believe McQueen (with Enda Walsh) designed the film this way so not to glorify Sands as the lone martyr in what was indeed a community suffering. one of the film's few missteps is in this transition, though, as the viewer is left wondering who's Bobby, when's he going to show up, was Bobby the roommate who had his hair cut?
• McQueen makes up for this lack of focus quickly in an unthinkably long static shot (pictured above) of Sands conversing with a priest. Fassbender's chops really show here, as he displays selflessness, doubt and charisma all within the same shot.
• last act is dedicated to Hunger, and Fassbender's grotesque body transformation rivals Bale's infamous weight loss for The Machinist and Rescue Dawn. McQueen pulls quite a few visual and aural tricks to communicate the symptoms of your body slowly shutting down.
• all in all, Hunger is certainly unflinching in its portrayal of IRA prisoners of war in 1987. it's an extremely subjective film, and assumes you know quite a bit of the civil war (I didn't), and is clearly sympathizes with its portrayed side. nonetheless, McQueen's direction is magnificent, and had the world any justice, both he and Fassbender would be receiving Oscar buzz. European Film Awards noms will have to do.
• i suppose that was too much plot for a review, but hey, it's my first since October. give me a break.

9/unflinching, beautifully observant examination of Bobby Sands' last six weeks