It’s a filthy job getting to the top, but someone’s got to do it.|Sep. 23, 2013|United Kingdom|97 Min.|R
Genre: Comedy;Crime;Drama
Description: “Filth” (2013) follows the story of Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson, a manipulative and misanthropic individual who thrives on causing chaos for those around him. He spends his free time indulging in drugs, alcohol, and abusive relationships, while also plotting schemes to torment people he dislikes, including his colleagues in the Edinburgh police force. Bruce’s cruelty extends to his mild-mannered friend Clifford Blades, whose wife becomes the target of his inappropriate behavior. Despite his harsh demeanor, Bruce shows genuine kindness to Mary and her son, the family of a man he failed to save from a heart attack.
Bruce’s primary goal is to secure a promotion to Detective Inspector, and his path seems clear when he is assigned to lead the investigation into the murder of a Japanese exchange student. However, as he delves deeper into the case, Bruce begins to lose his grip on reality, experiencing vivid hallucinations. Through interactions with his psychiatrist, Dr. Rossi, it is revealed that Bruce suffers from bipolar disorder and is haunted by guilt over a childhood accident that led to his younger brother’s death. His wife, Carole, has left him and denies him access to their daughter, Stacey.
These personal struggles drive Bruce’s desperate pursuit of promotion and his occasional acts of kindness toward Mary and her son. In a troubling attempt to cope, Bruce begins cross-dressing as his wife to feel closer to her, further highlighting his deteriorating mental state. The film explores themes of guilt, mental illness, and the lengths one goes to in order to escape their past.
Cast director: David Gilchrist
Cast actor: James McAvoy, Jamie Bell, Eddie Marsan, Imogen Poots, Joanne Froggatt, Jim Broadbent, Brian McCardie, Emun Elliott, Gary Lewis, John Sessions
Original name: Filth