10 Most Divisive Films Of 2013

3. Filth

Filth too shares the Gatsby conundrum, but also brings its own baggage to the party. That baggage was Trainspotting. Anything bearing the name of Irvine Welsh always struggles against such an imposing yardstick, and Filth was no exception. Trainspotting dominated popular culture €“ by comparison, Filth came in with a whimper and went out with one, notable only for a totemic performance from James McAvoy. But still, much like Gatsby before it, McAvoy's turn as momentous sh*t Bruce Robertson definitely turned heads, easily taking pride of place as one of Welsh's most monstrous creations. And this is where the film shines €“ by all rights Robertson should be a figure chronically incapable of audience pathos, but strangely, through McAvoy's performance, he is. Of course it helps the film doesn't have the novels worst excesses. But that's probably to be damned with faint praise, like saying applauding folk for not grunting at the porno theatre. It's still plenty nasty. But to others, this nastiness made it impenetrable. I know it's narrow-minded to bring up Trainspotting again, but what made Welsh's/Danny Boyle's opus stand out was that deep down and barring Begbie, everyone else had a core of decency. Not so, Filth. Eddie Marsan aside, almost everyone else is just as terrible as Robertson. But unlike Robertson, we don't have a window into their mind to see the depth. It occasionally became a lurid pantomime, drunk on its own, well, filth. I know its lashing the most lashed of dead horses to chide Welsh for this, but still €“ this was Trainspotting without the heart, and whether you could get on board with that affected whether you could truly enjoy this film.