The Standard Gets Its Close-up In “Shame,” Michael Fassbender’s Unsparing New Movie
Ever since The Standard opened in 2009, looming high over the High Line and West Side Highway with its floor to ceiling windows, it’s been waiting for its close-up. At last, the sleekly sexy hotel — and its windows — figure prominently in a new movie, and wouldn’t you know, it’s rated NC-17?
Revealing windows at the Standard (Overnight New York photo)
Shame, the unsparing film with Michael Fassbender as a sex addled bachelor prowling Manhattan, features a prominent scene in a corner room at the Standard. For anyone who ever wanted a peek behind a door, the chicly contemporary Roman & Williams décor (and lots more) is on view – the clean lines, white walls, wood paneling and quiet luxury, with a large flatpanel TV in front of a window.
The curtains, of course, are wide open. Unfortunately, the view of the Hudson and downtown Manhattan is hampered by fog, especially early on. We weren’t sure whether to read something into this. Did the fog symbolize the confusion simmering in the tormented character played by Fassbender? Or was the movie simply shot on a foggy day?
As for those notorious windows, they’re made from iron-free glass, which is extremely transparent with no green tinges. Todd Schliemann, the hotel’s architect, has said the window glass is like a funny one-way mirror because of its transparency. “You feel no one can see you.” That’s not the message we get from Shame, but hey, it’s just a movie.
Nice tease, you didn’t give it away. Now, I want to see both the movie and the hotel.
Thanks, Sara!
I’d like to book a suite for a weekend!
I’ll bet you’d love it. Thanks, Ed!
They do some weird things at that hotel. One night a summer or two ago, different colored lights came out of most hotel windows, and people were doing some strange dances in front of those windows.
It made for a very entertaining five minutes of standing on the Highline.
Sounds like the Standard. Always entertaining. Thanks, Step!
There are lots of people that seem to think they can’t be seen inside The Standard:)
Amen! Thanks, D.J.
Loved that movie, but it was definitely extremely odd. We had floor to ceiling windows at our apartment in the East Village earlier this month, which was cool during the day but at night I wished they’d had thicker curtains. I woke up really early as a result, and I am NOT a morning person.
You probably wouldn’t have that problem in December, but yeah, there’s a reason blackout shades were invented. Hope you had a great stay in New York, btw. Thanks, Bret.
I watched shame recently. Not a totally uplifting movie 😉
Nope — not a bit! Thanks, Laurence.
I used to visit The Standard in Hollywood often when I lived in LA. Never been to the one in NYC and have had Shame on my laptop for months now.. I feel left out of the joke.. gotta go watch the movie now 😉