Filth and Wisdom (2008)

25% of critics liked it
(60 reviews)
43% of users liked it
(1,843 ratings)

After more than two decades as one of the world's most recognizable stars, Madonna steps behind the camera for the first time with this comedy drama about a handful of bohemians struggling to make a name for themselves in London, which she both wrote and directed. A.K. (Eugene Hutz) is a Ukrainian… More After more than two decades as one of the world's most recognizable stars, Madonna steps behind the camera for the first time with this comedy drama about a handful of bohemians struggling to make a name for themselves in London, which she both wrote and directed. A.K. (Eugene Hutz) is a Ukrainian émigré and struggling musician who fronts a band blending gypsy music with punk rock. Still coming to terms with a childhood pock-marked by abuse, A.K. believes that one has to confront the seamy side of life to find enlightenment, and with this in mind he supports himself by torturing masochists for money while dressed in military gear. Living in the same decaying apartment block as A.K. is Holly (Holly Weston), a gifted dancer who dreams of becoming a ballet star, though now she's forced to degrade herself as a stripper at a "gentleman's nightclub." A.K. is enamored of Holly, but can't work up the nerve to make a move. Elsewhere in the building, Juliette (Vicky McClure) wants to help children in the Third World, but is biding her time working at a pharmacy, where she swipes medicine for charity when she isn't pocketing recreational material for herself, and Professor Flynn (Richard E. Grant) is a blind poet who is surrounded by a personal library of books he can no longer read. Filth and Wisdom also features several performances by Gogol Bordello, the band Eugene Hutz leads in real life; the film received its world premiere at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Madonna
Written By: Madonna, Dan Cadan
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 17, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Sep 29, 2009
Studio: IFC Films

Critic Reviews

Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies
This is a terrible, terrible worthless movie that you shouldn't give any time to.
Ben Lyons, At the Movies
I'm confident the material girl has more good material for movies ahead of her.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Does anyone remember when Madonna was considered shocking?
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
At 84 minutes, the movie feels both overpadded and underdeveloped.
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle
Nothing in this cynical bit of claptrap feels remotely real.
Tom Long, Detroit News
This is a movie that's just sort of there, and nobody much would have paid any attention to it without the Madonna connection. And chances are nobody much will even with that connection.
Fr. Chris Carpenter, Orange County and Long Beach Blade
Madonna's direction isn't half-bad...too bad she chose a poor script teeming with uninteresting characters
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
Either Madonna failed to successfully guide her movie to a coherent state of mind or she simply has no gift for filmmaking. A case could be made for both, though the latter is an awfully tempting summarization of Filth and Wisdom.
Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl
If this were the first film of a 17-year-old who got a camcorder for his birthday...it could be called a promising first effort.
Todd Gilchrist, IGN Movies
It's sweeter and sunnier than its material suggests, but not smarter.
Jim Slotek, Jam! Movies
Imagine having a philosophical discussion with Madonna. I imagine it would be like having one with any other high school dropout.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
Madonna's directing debut shows that the megastar did not learn a lot about film craft and creates a routine, occasional amusing debut oeuvre. It should have been a more mature work and it is not.
Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly
Message to the director: Don't quit your day job just yet, but in the category of multidisciplinary artists moonlighting as filmmakers, I'll take you over Julian Schnabel any day.
Jonathan Kiefer, Sacramento News & Review
There's no wisdom in this script.
Sean Burns, Philadelphia Weekly
As Bart Simpson once said of NAKED LUNCH, I can think of two things wrong with this title.
Amy Nicholson, Boxoffice Magazine
Curiosity-seekers may trickle in, but despite the deliberate move to release the flick unrated, there's nothing in here to merit a raised eyebrow.
Austin Kennedy, Sin Magazine
At 83 minutes, it's tedious, pretentious, and just plain boring. I kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing does.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

William D

Is Madonna's "Filth and Wisdom" as bad as you've heard? Well, I have to say yes. When the film came out, it was savaged by critics and pulled from circulation in just a few days. I suspected the critics were being overly negative, as they are wont to do when a… More
Is Madonna's "Filth and Wisdom" as bad as you've heard? Well, I have to say yes. When the film came out, it was savaged by critics and pulled from circulation in just a few days. I suspected the critics were being overly negative, as they are wont to do when a woman artist takes risks. But in this case the extreme pans were deserved. "Filth and Wisdom" is almost as bad as Joaquin Phoenix's spectacularly stupid and self-indulgent "I'm Still Here" (2010). The only redeeming value is that the bits with Eugene Hutz, lead singer of the band Gogol Bordello, do occasionally become interesting. I suspect that Hutz could turn into something of a darling of underground cinema. He would just require a director and writer who's got more going on upstairs than Madonna. I yield to no one in my appreciation for Madonna, but it can't be denied: she's no thinker. And she's not much of a natural behind the camera either. Most of the scenes in "Filth and Wisdom" looked to me like they were directed by an eight-year-old, and not a particularly smart or interesting one.
Sarah P

I don't see what the point of this was. I love Madonna, but obviously more so in front of the camera than behind.