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Filth Review
Tuesday 15th October 2013 | Joss
After his novel Trainspotting was made into a feature film, we thought that was it from Irvine Welsh. It wasn’t. With James McAvoy in the lead role, Welsh’s novel Filth is brilliantly brought to life – though a very different kind of life than we would imagine.
It’s dirty. It’s funny. It’s disgusting.
The film’s protagonist, Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson, is a misanthropic, unscrupulous junkie. Bruce wants a promotion and is willing to step on the shoulders of his colleagues to get it, kicking their teeth out in the process. Bruce’s boss favours him for the promotion and puts him in charge of a murder investigation. If he solves the case, the promotion is his. This is no problem for a wily, cunning Bruce, who plays by his own rules and is always, always in control of the situation.
As with any dark comedy, we can’t help but love the twisted, perverted protagonist. We do, of course, hate him too. In keeping with his bipolar character, Bruce’s life vacillates between comic and tragic. As the case develops, Bruce loses his grasp on reality while desperately clutching onto what control he has left. His substance abuse peaks and his wickedness intensifies, leading to an unimaginable climax.
Laced in between the humour and abhorrence of the film are moments of pure despair and heart-piercing sadness. Despite his Machiavellian defence mechanism, Bruce can’t shield himself from his own reality and he comes undone at the seams. Despite a deep hate for Bruce, we pity him intensely.
Bruce Robertson could not be better portrayed than by James McAvoy. A true Scot, McAvoy hails from Glasgow and, by background or talent, he captures the underside of Scottish culture perfectly. If anyone were to dispute McAvoy’s acting skills, the only necessary reply would be, “Filth.”
With so many dark twists and turns, so many nuances and details, you couldn’t summarize Filth. You could only hope to describe it and the ensemble of feelings it evokes. What's more, you can’t tell anyone what it’s about for fear of ruining any little surprise. You could only recommend it. Strongly.
Filth really is this season’s film to see.
