Watch Filth and Wisdom
Watch Filth and Wisdom movie
- IMDB rating: 5.40
- IMDB votes: 461
- Release Date: 2008
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!! This video is hosted on Megavideo. You need the latest flash player to watch this video. Download, install and reboot your browser. User: adamcoolAdded: 14 February 2008
Vote: 51
Godawful, Trite and a waste of celluloid
Saw this at the Berlinale. All I can say is it's an insufferable mess.Dreadful acting and a script so full of crass banalities that it almostcollapses under its own dreadfulness.
One to miss.
The Material One says she's thinking of releasing this on the internet- small wonder. I doubt there's a distributor anywhere that would touchthis appalling car-crash of a movie. The music is quite fun, to be fairand there is a lot of it (probably because there's really not much else- perhaps she should think about directing a rockumentary next time).The dialogue is full of pretentious, meaningless attempts at 'insight'.Sadly, you'd get more insight looking at an unwashed pair ofunderpants.
Added: 22 July 2008
Vote: 8
Every (other) movie needs a Borat
At least you could be forgiven thinking exactly that, if you look atthe main player (also some sort of narrator) in Madonnas movie.Strangely (or maybe not) the movie seems to appeal more to women. Ican't really explain this, but it did work better for woman. If it'sonly a Madonna star factor or a genuine nerve she hit with this one, issomething I can't tell you ...
I can tell you though, that the performances are good, in a strangekind of way. Let's say, that the movie has Madonna written all overitself. You will most likely, either hate or love the film. Off beatand although it looks like a mess, it can be a lot of fun. That is, ifyou let yourself into the mood of the movie. So leave the prejudices atthe door or don't enter at all!
Added: 24 February 2009
Vote: 9
Well, to be realistic...
You can actually get pretty good insight by looking at an unwashed pairof underpants. You can tell a lot about a person by studying theirhygiene habits. Also by noticing either an abundance or lack of stains,faults, holes, tears, overall condition, even what kind of underpantsthey are. So this tells me you don't know much about gaining insightfrom anything unless it's put in very literal terms for your strugglingmind to understand. Anyone can sound like an expert on the internet,but I can tell by your forced attempts of using advanced vocabularythat you're not at all what you attempt to be. So don't waste peoples'time by trying to help them with deceiving remarks hiding yourmisunderstanding. Perhaps I am biased because I am a fan of EugeneHutz, but I find it hard to believe anyone could get nothing out ofthis film. Sure anyone who dislikes Madonna will disregard it simplybecause of a childish hatred, but I do not care for her myself, and Istill thoroughly enjoyed this film. Rarely do I comment films based onmy opinion, and even more rarely do I rate one 10 out of 10 stars. I dothis because I feel this film has been very misunderstood andunappreciated, as do I feel that the extremely biased general media hasgiven it a bad hype it does not deserve. So I hope others may watch itwith an open mind, and disregard your personal opinions of the crew andcast, and watch it as a film, and nothing more. If you do that there isreally something to be appreciated here.
User: doctorbrodeurAdded: 23 August 2009
Vote: 2
incredible film
engaging, entertaining, real. i cannot believe this movie isn'tconstantly rated a solid ten. the characters are complex, the humour isstellar, the style of the film is irresistible.
the main character played by eugene huts is an absolute hilariousscream, while still being an endearing, lovable personae. there isgrowth of character, aggressive scripting, constant action, and a feelgood ending.
all of this while dealing with personalities you will relate to andlove. i am a constant critic of films, i typically am bored with everymovie i enter, and this mosaic of artistic beauty did not once fail toentertain myself or my equally difficult to pleas entourage.
if you have a powerful mind and a thirst for creative film making thisfilm is for you. if you have a weak mind and prefer the pre-fab, boringplot lines and predictably flat, unreal characters Hollywood constantlychurns out, go rent 'are we there yet?'
Added: 2 November 2008
Vote: 6
Not the Worst Film...
I watched this last night On-Demand and although it was lacking in someothers, I still found it worth watching. Eugene Hutz is fabulous ineverything he does so I fully understand Madonna basically making thisfilm to highlight him and Gogol Bordello. My main issue with the filmwas the lack of comradery between the roommates. They were supposed tobe very close and I never got that impression. And there was basicallyno back story on any of the characters. But I do get what Madonna wastrying to do with this. She just fell short a little. But I think she'son the right track. Also, one of the main characters, Vicky McClure wasquite good. I would like to see her in more films. But definitely seethis if you are a fan of Gogol Bordello.
User: gcatelli (guycatelli1@yahoo.com)Added: 1 November 2008
Vote: 4
a heart-warming little gem of a movie
"Filth and Wisdom" illustrates that growing up requires getting yourhands dirty -- you can't gain wisdom by spending your life in agerm-free bubble. however, that's too many words for a title, so it'scalled "Filth and Wisdom" instead.
imo, relative to current pop culture, there's no "filth", as such, inthis movie, except for Eugene Hutz's filthy feet shoved in the face ofthe viewer during an otherwise moving scene, which shows thereconciliation of two sisters who had been feuding.
indeed, the film would have been substantially improved if EugeneLutz'z ego had been edited down from the size of the Titanic to, say,the Love Boat.
nonetheless, this little indie film is a very warm-hearted look at theunavoidable conflict between the fact that society must have rules tobe society, but humans must sometimes bend or even break these rules tobe humans.
Added: 16 January 2009
Vote: 6
This is just Madonna's effort to cash in on a new popularity.
A profound idea and Madonna put together sounds like a futile attemptto mix water and oil, but, being a guy who likes both Hutz as an actorand indie film alone should all by itself be testament to mywillingness to be open-minded about unusual forms of art andinterpretation. So, I watched Filth And Wisdom with no preconceivednotions even after reading so many bad reviews.
Now that I've seen it, I'll just say that this film makes no effort toforce you to think and ask questions, but simply lays out the overallmessage up front then just goes through the motions of showing it.There were moments of potential, but at no point did I even remotelywonder how things might turn out for each character in the end. It justdidn't occur to me to care enough.
In short, if you're a fan of Hutz's former roles in acting, no lessGogol Bordello, you'll probably enjoy seeing Hutz play himself in thisrole at most, which features a scene of Gogol Bordello performing atthe end. Filth and Wisdom, however, doesn't even come close to what youmight have walked away with in Everything Is Illuminated. This film isjust Madonna's effort to cash in on a new spotlight that no longershines on her, in my opinion.
If you have no clue who Eugine Hutz or Gogol Bordello is and can careless, on the other hand, I advise you avoid this movie alltogether..... unless you're on a drug that can make almost anythinginteresting.
Either way, don't expect much and you won't be disappointed.
Added: 20 July 2009
Vote: 5
Madonna fails again at her big screen ambitions
As a director Madonna's understanding of subtlety and nuance is akin toa stiff punch to the gut. She doesn't get it at all. Incomprehensibleat times and pretentious in others, there isn't that much reason towatch it. I skipped some of the more arduous scenes that were hard toget through. Doing this made the movie easier to watch.
The immigrant storyline which takes place in London is mildlyinteresting. The problem is that Madonna doesn't know how to bring herideas and observations together in a way that makes enough sense. Thislack if comprehension for the story she is trying to tell coupled withher inexperience as a director leads to on screen confusion andannoyance.
Added: 4 November 2008
Vote: 4
Underrated little film that survives because of the great characters
Much reviled film from Madonna is playing on IFC in Theaters. Havingseen the film its clear that the hatred of the film is because of whothe director is rather than what the film is. Basically the story of AKand his two roommates who are trying to simply get a leg up in theworld. AK, played by Eugene Hutz in what I hope is a break throughperformance is a deeply philosophical Russian in a rock band who getspeople to pay him to abuse them. The film is narrated by him as we seewhat he and his friends are going through. A small scale nothing of afilm, this is the sort of film that probably wouldn't have been noticedmuch without Madonna in the directors chair. then again there issomething very much alive in the film with great characters , oddrelationships and very good music that raises it up a couple ofnotches. Clearly Madonna knows what she's doing behind the camera. Ireally do like the film. Its not the be all and end all, but there issomething nicely alive about the film that makes it more than the bythe numbers independent films it resembles. (And yes Richard E Grant isWonderful)
User: chester_stainesAdded: 6 April 2009
Vote: 7
Better than a 5.1!
I cannot ever recall writing a review on this site before, but I feltcompelled to after looking up the average rating out of curiosity andseeing a score of 5.1. Generally for any given film I can put my owntaste aside and guess within half a point what the IMDb generalconsensus will be. I'd have gone here for something like 7.4 ... (andrated it 7 myself). Maybe as some other reviewer's have suggested,people's judgement has been affected by the hype and media around thisfilm. I was fortunate enough to watch it knowing nothing about it andenjoying the ride. I found Eugene H?tz's character completelybelievable and felt the film managed to steer way clear of beingpretentious yet telling an amusing story. OK, so it's no Trainspotting,but then again it is something different and in my opinion, worth awatch!
User: sneakygringoAdded: 2 April 2009
Vote: 9
Witless, pretentious, bowel brained
Jesus wept. I wish that was all I could say about this blundering,self-indulgent idiot of a movie. I am still reeling from the publichumiliation meted out to Eugene Hutz and Richard E Grant in this, asanother commenter so aptly described it, car-crash of a movie.
The script they were handed and the movie they ended up embroiled inwas the equivalent of them being packed into a bright pink Lada,tweaked up to the gills on meth and viagra, naked, before beingforcibly driven at top speed into an oncoming bus-load of schoolchildren, with a haul of child porn sitting conspicuously on the backseat.
Madonna's unmistakable, drooling brand of pretentiousness is smearedall over this particular steaming pile of waste. Althoughpretentiousness might be a bit generous, as that would suggest at leastan entry level modicum of intellect with which she had to work with;this is unadulterated idiocy.
Watching this movie I was constantly reminded of that scene from A FishCalled Wanda where Klein, after being accused of being stupid, respondsindignantly 'Do stupid people read Russian philosophy?'. Curtis' answerkept running laps around my attention span: 'Yes, they do, they justdon't understand it.' This sums up the driving force behind thepretentious, empty-headed fumbles this movie attempts to make in aneffort to inject it with some kind of profundity, the like of whichwill no doubt appeal to people who have never experimented withthinking before, but alas will leave anybody who can spell the word'wheelbarrow' without spell check smacking their heads off the nearesthard surface with contempt for the foolishness being hurled in steaminghandfuls at their functioning brains.
They spray-painted Richard E Grant's hair gray for crying out loud. Notcontent with humiliating the man through the woeful string of drivelthat was disingenuously entitled a script, they physically marked theman's person to make him look as foolish as the movie itself. Thereshould be some kind of association for prevention of cruelty to actorsset up if you ask me, Madonna would surely get the chair for what shedid to Hutz and Grant. For shame...
I've given this movie 1 point because I like Hutz and Grant, 1 pointbecause I like Gogol Bordello who provide much of the music and styleevident in the movie, and I would give it another point for thecar-crash quality that kept me glued to it in disbelief, revelingperversely in how progressively terrible it kept getting by the second.
It's that kind of morbid fascination you get if you smell a really badfart, disgusting, repulsive, but morbidly fascinating that it canactually be that bad and actually be getting more repellent. But sincethere are clearly people commenting here who insist on over-rating thisnonsense, waste-of-time testament to Madonna's failed education, I willwithhold that third point.
If you like Grant or Hutz, avoid this movie at all costs; it's likewatching them ritually humiliated by an idiot in the crudest and mostunfortunate of fashions for a length of time that could qualify for ahuman rights violation. You will weep for them. I wouldn't be surprisedif Guy Richie decided to distance himself from his missus on thestrength of having seen this movie alone.
Added: 17 February 2009
Vote: 12
Very Disappointing
OK, so let me just say that I came into this as a huge fan of EugeneHutz and Gogol Bordello and while I don't enjoy her music, I likeMadonna's persona and was very excited to see the film.
On the upside, this movie did have some interesting ideas on, well...filth and wisdom, sex work and art. Unfortunately, the story-tellingvehicle meant to get us to these ideas was so appalling that Mr. Hutzhad to narrate them to us fairly explicitly. For ideas to work in afilm WITHOUT an engrossing storyline, those ideas better be prettyprofound (which these aren't) otherwise it just looks like theamateurish work of an angsty teen (which this did).
To make it all the more disappointing, the character set ups were GOOD.I wanted to like and know about each of the three protagonists andtheir relationships to each other. Unfortunately, everything goesdownhill after we meet them. Their back stories are only hinted at,their motives and personalities one-dimensional and their statedrelationships lacked the slightest chemistry. The secondary characterswere worse.
So, what happened and who do we hold accountable for ruining this film?Someone was handed a great cast to play exciting characters, a nicelittle premise and some passable thematic ideas and yet it bombed. Thereal achievement of this film is that it managed to be as unwatchableas it was. The only real reason to sit through this pile is for the thesheer erotic thrill of seeing Eugene Hutz as a male dominatrix, and ifthat doesn't get you rocks off, then I'd just skip it all together.
Added: 17 February 2008
Vote: 36
Better than you think
I saw this movie yesterday at the Berlinale.
Going into the theater I thought it might be a dreadful film (after allthere were some terrible comments running the net...) I must say thoughafter just a ten minutes the film had gotten to me. It is funny and hasquite a pace to it. Getting to know the different characters did notseem to be "set up" as it happens to be in quite a few movies.
Despite the obvious humor the movie contains a lot to think about andeven more to remember.
I really would advice anyone to go and watch the movie as it is one ofa kind. Just go in expecting nothing and you will receive everything...
Added: 19 February 2008
Vote: 37
Good movie, very underrated! See it for yourself!
I really liked the film. I admit I almost didn't go to see it becauseof all the bad press, but Im happy I did. And for those who haven'tseen it and consider not to based on all the criticism, you reallyshould go and see it for yourself.
I wonder what these critics were really expecting? Something a littlemore Hollywood? And what do you consider to be a "good" movie, if youdon't seem to like this one very much?
I found the movie to be very honest. The only part I wasn't soconvinced of was the the blind guy, his facial expressions didn't matchthe character, I think he smiled too much.
But other than that, where is the problem? Have any of you ever workedas a Dominatrix or known any sex workers? Or professional dancers whoturned to working at a strip club to earn a living? You say "clich?"but often clich?s/stereotypes exist for a reason, because actual humanbeings (re)act in certain ways in certain situations.
I think Madonna should feel proud of her work here! It was inspiring inits way, regardless of what some might say.
