Filth picks you up by the balls and makes you force them out through your nose! James McAvoy takes on the role of Bruce Robertson, a troubled Edinburgh Detective Sergeant, addicted to coke, alcohol and sex.
From the start, we are thrown into his sordid world and see Bruce bending the rules in his aggressive manner. He seems harsh but enjoys his shenanigans until the animal hallucinations take over and break him down. Topping up on pills from the doctor doesn’t seem to help him steady himself to at least look the part for a possible promotion. He uses bully tactics to get what he wants but the craziness of his life takes its toll and he loses his sense of belonging.
We see the buried feelings Bruce is experiencing and these bubble to the surface like seeing a pus-filled spot being painfully squeezed. Irvine Welsh’s novel is well played out in this movie but, as always is the case, some areas are left out. It would have been good to explore his character a little more and understand his actions but then again, if all bits of the book were included, this would have to be labelled X-rated.
Irvine Welsh tells a good hard story that is superb for inspiring and showcasing Scottish filmmaking. There is still talk of a sequel to Trainspotting, based on the novel Porno and who knows what impact this will have. It would be great to see the old gang back together, with Ewan McGregor as Renton.
Here he is discussing the possibility:
Jon Exton
