I could be petty and pretentious, and say that I had essentially written off Filth and Wisdom as soon as I had heard it was the first feature directed by Madonna, an artist not known for turning in good work when she’s merely acting in a movie. I could be trivial, and say that it was when I saw that there was a typo in the film summary on the back of the box. But in all honesty, it was probably the moment when our lead character, A.K. (Eugene Hutz) states that filth and wisdom are two sides of the same coin, then flips a coin into the air, which the camera indulgently lingers on long after the point has been made. The idea struck me immediately as a dubious one, and the following 84 minutes did nothing to change that.
A.K. lives with fellow Londoners Holly (Holly Weston) and Juliette (Vicky McClure) in a dwelling situation that feels like the rough British translation of that in the musical Rent. Like in that show, the three are artists and idealists struggling against nigh impossible odds to realize their somewhat unconvincing dreams (A.K.’s a singer, Holly’s a ballet dancer, and Juliette wants to save the entire continent of Africa). Unlike in Rent, these characters have jobs, and miserable jobs at that (A.K.’s a sex worker, Holly’s a stripper, and Juliette’s a pharmacist’s assistant). But naturally, since the title has to come into play at some point, it is universally acknowledged that filth and wisdom must coexist with each other, and everyone lives happily ever after. A.K. is also in love with Holly, too. That’s probably important.
So what does any of that mean? Well, as A.K. intones to us (and this is a man who knows how to intone; he hardly stops talking to the audience throughout the entire film’s running time), filth represents hedonism, slovenliness, and the immediate fulfillment of all one’s desires. Wisdom represents the good life; the wife, the house, the 1.5 kids, the straight and narrow. According to the film, the two aspects of living must live side by side if one is to live a rich and fulfilling life. Whether or not that was the best expression of that idea could be debated ad nauseum; whether or not we needed Madonna to tell us this really shouldn’t be. The notion that a little hedonism is good in life dates all the way back to Holiday, which at least had Cary Grant to explain to us the complicated and radical idea that vacations are fun. It’s been repeated since in films as wide-ranging as Dead Poet’s Society and Quills, and I think we might finally have the idea: fun is good. It’s not entirely clear what Madonna’s intention was in making this movie (if it’s to be taken seriously, one would think that she expected the entire world to drop out and move to the West Village), but it can be said without reservation that she did not succeed.
First off, did what I described a few paragraphs earlier sound remarkably skimpy on plot? Let me tell you something: that was being generous. The very little that happens in this movie could be divided one of three categories, being A.K. talks to the camera, A.K. does some weird sex thing with a customer of his, and some other character does something else. That last one could stand be a little more descriptive, but it could not really be made to sound more interesting. Richard E. Grant makes an appearance as the film’s requisite benevolent homosexual, and there’s some attempt to make a character out of Sardeep (Inder Manocha), Juliette’s boss. But it’s hard to latch onto a movie with absolutely no center to it, and it’s even harder to like a film that hasn’t the slightest bit of confidence that you’ll be able to understand the film without having it spelled out for you with cheesy, unconvincing philosophizing. And with a conceit as juvenile as this, it’s hard not to feel insulted.
It would be bad enough if Filth and Wisdom was just kind of dumb, but it’s not. Plenty of dumb things have gone on to great success. But it’s hard to abide something that manages to be both simplistic and condescending, and Filth and Wisdom is, unfortunately, both.
DVD Bonus Features
There is a single theatrical trailer.
"Filth and Wisdom" is on sale September 29, 2009 and is rated NR. Drama. Directed by Madonna. Written by Madonna, Dan Cadan. Starring Eugene Hutz, Holly Weston, Inder Manocha, Richard E Grant, Vicky McClure.
