Filth (2013)

A corrupt, junkie cop with Borderline Personality Disorder attempts to manipulate his way through a promotion in order to win back his wife and daughter while also fighting his own borderline-fueled inner demons.

Director:

Jon S. Baird

Writers:

Jon S. Baird, Irvine Welsh (novel)

Stars:

James McAvoy, Jamie Bell, Eddie Marsan

9 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James McAvoy	...	Bruce
Jamie Bell	...	Lennox
Eddie Marsan	...	Bladesey
Imogen Poots	...	Drummond
Brian McCardie	...	Gillman
Emun Elliott	...	Inglis
Gary Lewis	...	Gus
John Sessions	...	Toal
Shauna Macdonald	...	Carole
Jim Broadbent	...	Dr. Rossi
Joanne Froggatt	...	Mary
Kate Dickie	...	Chrissie
Martin Compston	...	Gorman
Iain De Caestecker	...	Ocky
Shirley Henderson	...	Bunty

Storyline

Scheming Bruce Robertson (James McAvoy), a bigoted and corrupt policeman, is in line for a promotion and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Enlisted to solve a brutal murder and threatened by the aspirations of his colleagues, including Ray Lennox (Jamie Bell), Bruce sets about ensuring their ruin, right under the nose of unwitting Chief Inspector Toal. As he turns his colleagues against one another by stealing their wives and exposing their secrets, Bruce starts to lose himself in a web of deceit that he can no longer control. His past is slowly catching up with him, and a missing wife, a crippling drug habit and suspicious colleagues start to take their toll on his sanity. The question is: can he keep his grip on reality long enough to disentangle himself from the filth?

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Plot Keywords:

freemasonry | drunkenness | drugged drink | male frontal nudity | woman on top | 

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Taglines:

No one gets off. Until he does.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use, language and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK Germany Sweden Belgium USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 April 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Drecksau

Filming Locations:

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$7,526 (USA) (30 May 2014)

Gross:

$34,321 (USA) (18 July 2014)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Steel Mill Pictures, Logie Pictures, Altitude Film Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the singers in the back of David Soul's car during Silver Lady, is his daughter, actress China Soul.

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Goofs

After Bruce gets Bladesey drunk and records him doing a Frank Sidebottom impersonation, Bladesey vomits out of his car in front of the Forth Road Bridge. Bladesey said he was going to see his parents, who live in England. The Forth Road Bridge is the main road north out of Edinburgh.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Carole: People ask me, "Carole, how do you and Bruce keep the spice in your marriage?" Well, I tell them it's really simple. I'm just the ultimate tease.
[walking down the hallway in lingerie]
Carole: Me and Bruce, we're not that different. We know what we want. We know how to get it. Like this promotion he's going for. We both know he'll win. And when he does, the Robertson household is gonna be one big, happy family again. I kid you not.

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Crazy Credits

Light-hearted animation featuring farm animals and cast credits.

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Connections

Featured in PatriotKINO: Yabloneviy Sad (Ty Lyubish Menya? Da Ya Lyublyu Tebya!) (2014)

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Soundtracks

Love Really Hurts Without You
Written by Ben Findon and Billy Ocean
Performed by Billy Ocean

User Reviews

Bonkers

I left the cinema speechless; i normally try to critique and discuss the film straight after, but i was speechless. It was the craziest film i have seen in a long time. It takes boundaries and tells them to f*** off. There are no restrictions with this film. There is brutality, sexism, racism, oppression, homophobia. It is polluted with prejudice. But i thought it was a great film. Am i part of those worldly problems? No. But let's face it, this is unfortunately the way the world is and all this film is doing is showing you just how filthy this world can be.

James McAvoy is a revelation as Detective Bruce Robertson; i really didn't see all the fuss with him. Yes he was good in "The Last King of Scotland", but the rest of the films i just couldn't match the hype to the actor, then i went to see "Trance" and i was blown away by his performance. And if it weren't for seeing that i probably wouldn't have been half as eager to see this. Because he showed the ability to portray more than one character in a film; someone who is both fragile and unstable. With "Filth" he excels beyond that and gives his best showing of his young career. He conveys every emotion, from bitterness, to regret, to sadness, to rage, to insanity and he conveys them extremely convincingly. It is a masterclass of acting.

Some may be easily offended, and if you are usually like that, i would avoid seeing the film. But if you want to face the World and its obvious problems head on (in the form of a film) then it is an outstanding film to do so.