Sadly Over-hyped

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Much reviled film from Madonna is playing on IFC in Theaters. Having seen the film its clear that the hatred of the film is because of who the director is rather than what the film is. Basically the story of AK and his two roommates who are trying to simply get a leg up in the world. AK, played by Eugene Hutz in what I hope is a break through performance is a deeply philosophical Russian in a rock band who gets people to pay him to abuse them. The film is narrated by him as we see what he and his friends are going through. A small scale nothing of a film, this is the sort of film that probably wouldn't have been noticed much without Madonna in the directors chair. then again there is something very much alive in the film with great characters , odd relationships and very good music that raises it up a couple of notches. Clearly Madonna knows what she's doing behind the camera. I really do like the film. Its not the be all and end all, but there is something nicely alive about the film that makes it more than the by the numbers independent films it resembles. (And yes Richard E Grant is Wonderful)

"Filth and Wisdom" illustrates that growing up requires getting your hands dirty -- you can't gain wisdom by spending your life in a germ-free bubble. however, that's too many words for a title, so it's called "Filth and Wisdom" instead.imo, relative to current pop culture, there's no "filth", as such, in this movie, except for Eugene Hutz's filthy feet shoved in the face of the viewer during an otherwise moving scene, which shows the reconciliation of two sisters who had been feuding.indeed, the film would have been substantially improved if Eugene Lutz'z ego had been edited down from the size of the Titanic to, say, the Love Boat.nonetheless, this little indie film is a very warm-hearted look at the unavoidable conflict between the fact that society must have rules to be society, but humans must sometimes bend or even break these rules to be humans.

At least you could be forgiven thinking exactly that, if you look at the main player (also some sort of narrator) in Madonnas movie. Strangely (or maybe not) the movie seems to appeal more to women. I can't really explain this, but it did work better for woman. If it's only a Madonna star factor or a genuine nerve she hit with this one, is something I can't tell you ...I can tell you though, that the performances are good, in a strange kind of way. Let's say, that the movie has Madonna written all over itself. You will most likely, either hate or love the film. Off beat and although it looks like a mess, it can be a lot of fun. That is, if you let yourself into the mood of the movie. So leave the prejudices at the door or don't enter at all!

Saw this at the Berlinale. All I can say is it's an insufferable mess. Dreadful acting and a script so full of crass banalities that it almost collapses under its own dreadfulness.One to miss.The Material One says she's thinking of releasing this on the internet - small wonder. I doubt there's a distributor anywhere that would touch this appalling car-crash of a movie. The music is quite fun, to be fair and there is a lot of it (probably because there's really not much else - perhaps she should think about directing a rockumentary next time). The dialogue is full of pretentious, meaningless attempts at 'insight'. Sadly, you'd get more insight looking at an unwashed pair of underpants.