Director: Jon S. Baird
Talent: James McAvoy, Jamie Bell, Eddie Marson, Imogen Poots
Release Date: 4th October 2013
Adapted from the novel by Irvine Welsh, Filth follows the exploits of a whisky-soaked, drug snorting, philandering Scottish cop, played by James McAvoy. On top of that he’s also sexist, xenophobic, corrupt and superhumanly arrogant. The film charts his descent into complete madness, chronicling his vices and debaucheries while also dropping not-so-subtle hints about his troubled past. It’s interesting that for all this, and the pure red-eyed craziness of the film, it can often feel quite tame. What’s anarchic and sharp in Welsh’s novel often comes across as cartoonish and messy here. Luckily McAvoy saves the day, holding the piece together by a performance that is in equal parts savage, manic and brilliant. Unfortunately though, sometimes it’s too obvious the film’s world is essentially constructed just for him to pass through. In the same way many of the supporting cast are simple caricatures, denied anything really interesting in their own right. Filth is perhaps not as clever as it thinks it is, especially when it’s trying hardest, but worth a watch for the lead alone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcQubPzQcpE
