So it's not a homerun for the general audience, but certainly fits a niche for the hungry eyes out there. I had a lot of fun watching this, and you can't really judge this movie like you would a blockbuster. i was expecting nothing but got plenty.

Loved every minute of this movie, everybody delivered everything oh so well!

Madonna, the renaissance woman of the 21st century. After making music, acting and writing children's books she finally tackled filmmaking in 2008. Like most- if not all- of her creative efforts, this cinematic debut shows a lot of effort but finally lands on the wrong side of adequate. "Filth and Wisdom" tells the tale of a group of friends drifting in their creatively ambitious but poor lives. Madonna borrowns from the by now clichéd traditions of American indie films and British arthouse cinema, utilizing broken cuts and slightly surreal dialog. Fortunately she has put "Gogol Bordello," one of the most interesting current show bands in the center of the film. Their music and the charisma of the bandmembers are the only thing that save this from being a complete failure. In essence, what we have here is a film that has a rather mediocre script, good performances but obviously less-than-talented directing. Perhaps the pop diva will learn more interesting means of cinematic expression in her future projects, but with "Filth and Wisdom" she sadly falls flat on her face.

A "bla" kind of movie, not unbearable but not enjoyable either.

I like Madonna and I like Gogol Bordello... So WTF happened here? This should at least be watchable! It is not! I got bored out of my F* mind and had to turn it off. Do not waste your time or money on this!

Sometimes the emphasis needs to placed on the E in Experimental Film. That is exactly what this is, does that make it bad? No. It's enjoyable, and well directed, albeit not the best script (neither, though the worst). It is for a niche market, and was never released as a commercial endeavour, or for the purpose of commercial success. Again, unfortunately adding Madonna's name to the project means it started with criticism in abundance before the trailer was even released... which is not fair at all. If Woody Allen released it, it would be called a camp undervalued gem. But, sadly, names and associations speak louder than the film itself. Well done on this, specially for a first time filmmaker!! But, experience aside, I still like it.

I love you Madonna, but this was dreadful.

It was an OK attempt with a poorly devised script. I enjoyed the characters but I didn't enjoy the cheese. It had moments of pure camp but Gogo Bordello's music and comedic value half-assmade up for it. If you're a Madonna fan, it becomes part of her "cheesy" movie collection alongside Desperately Seeking Susan, Who's That Girl, Girl 6, The Next Best Thing, Body of Evidence, and Dick Tacey whereas her other films have a more prominent place, W.E., Evita, A League of Their Own, and Swept Away, respectively.

Madonna must love Gogol Bordello as much as I do.

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.

Disjointed, implausible and entertaining. Eugene Hutz pretty much plays himself.

Charming, in its way. I believe this was originally conceived as a short film, and it shows. There's not enough plot, and a lot of the secondary characters are drawn very broadly. Slight but not terrible.

Nope. Not because I love Madonna, but because it was GOOD! I absolutely loved the characters, the message and the music. I couldn't see the point of that movie for about 40 minutes, but later it's getting clear. A bit forced, but pretty smart movie. (She used a lot of quotes, sometimes it seemed like she took this book of famous quotes by awesome people and created a script. Well, it worked anyway). So yes, nice movie, I just loved the guy a lot.

painfully bad, only light in the tunnel of doom was eugene huts of course! madonna should stick to music...!

http://stagevu.com/video/hkbanmharpcp

(***): Thumbs Up I liked the cast (especially the small performance from Richard E. Grant) and exceeded my expectations.

Eugene and Gogol are really the only reasons to see this, and the only things that make it entertaining.

<i><b>When I die, I'm going to go straight to Heaven. And you are going to ask me why. Did I pray enough? No. Did I share enough? Not really. Was I humble enough? Definantly not. So what makes you so sure you're going straight to Heaven, you ask. And I will tell you: because I told the truth. </i></b> Though coming from Madonna I knew I would like this one. But not this much. The film tells the story of 4 friends and the difficulties they are going through; each with his problem, but all on the same "shit". And there's something on that hard life they take. I don't feel sorry for them; for instants I almost find it attractive - that's the beauty of the film. But it has another advantage: it takes place in England. All the characters are lovely and all got charisma. Specially AK. Eugene Hutz has that glow that keeps us looking at him quietly. And that's why he talks to the camera; he talks to us. The things he say (I don't know if Madonna wrote that stuff) not only make sense but also makes us think for a while. Another character I loved was Professor Flynn performed by Richard E. Grant. A lovely man, a poet, also under suffering. The soundtrack is great (I now know and love Gogol Bordello - band that appears in the film as itself in which Eugene Hutz takes the vocals) and we can hear some Madonna's songs - which I think is perfectly normal. So, if Madonna decides to direct another film she can count on me. I just hope that I can count on her.

Imi place muzica lui si showul care il face pe scena, pacat k nu a bagat mai multa wisdom. If you want to touch the sky, fuck a duck and try to fly :)) A man without a moustache is like a women with moustache :)))

Very philosophical. I like this.