Filth and Wisdom (2008)

A comedy centered on three flatmates living desperate lives in London.

Director:

Madonna

Writers:

Madonna, Dan Cadan

Stars:

Eugene Hutz, Holly Weston, Vicky McClure

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eugene Hutz	...	A.K.
Holly Weston	...	Holly
Vicky McClure	...	Juliette
Richard E. Grant	...	Professor Flynn
Inder Manocha	...	Sardeep
Elliot Levey	...	Business Man
Francesca Kingdon	...	Francine
Clare Wilkie	...	Chloe
Stephen Graham	...	Harry Beechman
Hannah Walters	...	Business Man's Wife
Shobu Kapoor	...	Sardeep's Wife
Ade	...	DJ
Guy Henry	...	Lorcan O'Niell
Nunzio Palmara	...	Nunzio
George Keeler	...	Frail Man

Storyline

In London, A.K. is a Ukrainian Gypsy, seeking fame as a rocker, doing odd jobs: he's a dom, drives a hack, and runs errands for his neighbor, a poet full of self pity since going blind. A.K's flatmates are Holly, a ballerina who becomes a reluctant stripper in need of coaching, and Juliette, a pill-popping assistant at a pharmacy run by an Indian tired of his marriage. Juliette, estranged from her family, dreams of helping the poor children of Africa; A.K. has a crush on Holly; Juliette's boss lusts after her. Her hapless sister calls from time to time. The poet despairs. Is there a route from filth to wisdom for these souls? Can they find fun and fulfillment? A.K. provides philosophical comment.

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Plot Keywords:

gypsy | thong | punk rock band | red panties | cultural revolution | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

La Fabrique de Films [fr] Official site [jp]

Country:

UK

Language:

English Russian Hindi

Release Date:

17 September 2008 (France)

Also Known As:

Ithiki kai hydaiotita

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£3,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$4,597 (USA) (17 October 2008)

Gross:

$22,406 (USA) (21 November 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Semtex Films, HSI Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min 81 min (PAL Version)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the scene where Juliette is talking to A.K and is angry at him she is wearing suspenders. However, when the camera pans to the back of her head her suspenders are not visible.

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Quotes

Professor Flynn: The road to success is paved with humiliation. The sooner you accept that, the easier the journey will get.

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Connections

References Mary Poppins (1964)

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Soundtracks

"Roumania"
Written by Eugene Hutz, Oren Kaplan, Ori Kaplan and Tamir Muskat p/k/a Balkan Beat Box
Performed by J.U.F.
Published by 26f RPM (ASCAP), Bluma Music (ASCAP) & Muskatlove Music (BMI)
Courtesy of Stinky Records, a division of Stinky Co, Inc.
Taken from the album "Gogol Bordello vs. Tamir Muskat"

User Reviews

Madonna fails again at her big screen ambitions

As a director Madonna's understanding of subtlety and nuance is akin to a stiff punch to the gut. She doesn't get it at all. Incomprehensible at times and pretentious in others, there isn't that much reason to watch it. I skipped some of the more arduous scenes that were hard to get through. Doing this made the movie easier to watch.

The immigrant storyline which takes place in London is mildly interesting. The problem is that Madonna doesn't know how to bring her ideas and observations together in a way that makes enough sense. This lack if comprehension for the story she is trying to tell coupled with her inexperience as a director leads to on screen confusion and annoyance.