Filth, the novel, was exciting and experimental, but because there are so many extremes in it, it is very difficult to sanitise it for a movie going audience. How do you make a talking tapeworm work on film? It is a character in the book. Very difficult. Compromises had to be made and some of the racism, sexism, homophobia etc etc had to be toned down if not cut out completely.
I watched the film at a local (noisy) theatre. The performances were decent and the film was passable as pale reflection of the book, but I felt there were many edited cuts in the film which were bizarre. At one point David Soul (starring as a taxi driver) started singing his big pop hit from the 70's "Silver Lady". Jim Broadbent as Dr Rossi popped in and out of the film without much explanation of why he and Bruce "Robbo" Robertson were having these one to one sessions. Inspector Bob Toal is trying to write a book but it doesn't tie up with the rest of the film. Luckily I have read the book before and know the story well, but if I hadn't, I think I would be a bit confused.
Stealing the show for me, is John Sessions as Chief Inspector Toal. He captures the character of the book as a traditional white police officer out of date in a modern world.
I watched the film at a local (noisy) theatre. The performances were decent and the film was passable as pale reflection of the book, but I felt there were many edited cuts in the film which were bizarre. At one point David Soul (starring as a taxi driver) started singing his big pop hit from the 70's "Silver Lady". Jim Broadbent as Dr Rossi popped in and out of the film without much explanation of why he and Bruce "Robbo" Robertson were having these one to one sessions. Inspector Bob Toal is trying to write a book but it doesn't tie up with the rest of the film. Luckily I have read the book before and know the story well, but if I hadn't, I think I would be a bit confused.
Stealing the show for me, is John Sessions as Chief Inspector Toal. He captures the character of the book as a traditional white police officer out of date in a modern world.