Customer Reviews

Filth and Wisdom [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - France ]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Being a fan of Gogol Bordello and seeing Eugene Hutz's brilliant performance in his debut film of the compelling Everything Is Illuminated, I wanted to see what else he's capable of on the screen, though I went in without high expectations. I think Madonna at the helm of this project instilled that hesitation in me. I found the acting good, and the story intriguing. Three roommates are trying to find their niche in society like we all are. What will they do to find what they are looking for? Most anything, and the audience follows along on their journey.

1. Choose about half a dozen wacky/ cooky characters with no obvious connection with each other.
2. Put them in about a dozen predictable situations.
3. Add a pop video and a few of your own songs.
4. Don't allow any comedy.

Put in the blender and mix until gooey or slimey.

Half-bake for about an hour and twenty minutes.

Feed the resultant tasteless pap to an insomniac. Guaranteed sleep within a fraction of that time.

An hour and twenty one minutes, well shot film, with virtually no point. This film tried to be edgy, new wave, and controversial; instead it was simply bad.

The character list is about all anyone needs to know about this film. A cross-dressing, dominatrix, Russian version of Borat faces the camera periodically and talks to the viewer. He tries to make some point about the hell and heaven, how filth and wisdom are two sides of the same coin. He makes his living by dressing up and degrading men. A ballet dancer becomes a stripper. A pharmacy assistant steals pills and is obsessed with starving African children. A pharmacist lusts after his assistant and does unmentionables to her coat. A blind poet lives downstairs. In the end, they all live happily ever after.

This film goes absolutely no where. The point about filth and wisdom being polar opposites or the two sides of a coin is just not fleshed out.

The film is directed and co written by Madonna. It seems like she is trying to paint a picture of three people living together in a house, with their individual problems and difficult lives, but how they are all related in some manner. The film tries way too hard to be something intelligent.

The cinematography is excellent. This is a very well shot film, save one ridiculous shaky handheld camera moment when the blind poet throws all his books on the floor. The lighting is excellent. Sound is surprisingly well recorded, several squeaking doors sound very real in the surround channels. The music is absolutely abysmal, such a surprise considering Madonna's real calling. The pacing is good, the story moves along at a decent pace. The real problem is in the script.

The film is not rated but would be R for strong language. There is no nudity, a lot of underwear, but no naked bits. And very sadly, this is the real problem. The B&D scenes are particularly lame, real stunt people never did any of the hitting or stunts. Canings, beltings, and kicking's never come anywhere near the recipient, they are almost funny.

I disliked this film. It should be a good independent film, and I love to support that part of the industry. This just comes off as a film made by somebody with more money than sense.

"Filth and Wisdom" is Madonna's 2008 directorial movie debut. Overall the movie was fast-paced and not too interesting because it moved around in many different directions. If you're looking for this film and stumbled upon this page don't worry because there is a US DVD that is out now. You can find it at the Blockbuster Web site. They are the current official/only distributor of the DVD in the US. Although their DVD is a previously viewed copy I don't think anyone would mind as it's available now and less than the DVD on this page. There's also a Canadian DVD and a region 1 DVD from Japan, however these are each more expensive and this site isn't offering either one. (They are selling the French region 2 DVD, however that will not play on most US machines.)

As always Madonna gives to us something unique and original. This first directorial proved that. The movie is about dreams and the difficulties to get them. looking forward to have it on DVD, I saw IT IN NEW YORK. Hope we can see more of her in this genera. Best to the Queen of Pop.

I was looking forward to this film, if for no other reason than to see what kind of job Madonna did on her directorial debut. What a jumbled mess. At least she still has her music career. I did laugh out loud at a few jokes, and thought Vicky McClure was adorable. However, Eugene Hutz' accent was so thick in places that I had trouble understanding anything he said. As seems typical these days, it seems the film was trying to be more artsy than it actually is - or deserves to be.

One of those films that keeps you thinking about the message for a few days after viewing it. I found it immensely insightful. But I say this as a Madonna fan.

I will admit that she has starred in some very sub-par films in the past (Minus "Evita"), but as a director, she soars. This is one of the best films I've ever seen. LOVED IT!

Madonna has ALWAYS and will always try in some way to send us a message.
If we want to look in the mirror.. thats a different story.
If we want to stop going all out hollywood for heros we want to identify with.. well...
Or maybe we can put our ego aside and watch someone elses point of view for a moment. Perhaps its not meant to be your entertainment.
Perhaps not everything madonna has done or will do had to do with you and what you want. Sometimes artists take a leap and do what they want to do in order to say something. And maybe that takes courage. Lots of courage.
Maybe just maybe there are only a few left in the entertainment industry that are brave enough to make mistakes and make movies that arent that great and say YEAH but its out there and it says something and its worth it.

Madonna fans: Buy This Used And Cheap! (Kind of like the Material Girl herself)
A friend popped it in and I was there anyway so we watched this horror show. A couple of funny lines doth not a classic make. How does one who cannot act her way out of a paper bag decide she can direct? Not much of a plot, one of those pictures that is supposed to have some deep message, but just left us dry at the end. In "Desperately Seeking Susan" she just played herself, so it was a pretty good movie. But as time goes by, her movies get worse and worse. Considering "Swept Away," THAT is no easy achievement.
For hardcore slobbering fans only. The curious or non-Madonna nuts can stay far away.