James McAvoy – Filth
If there was one film that awards voters wouldn’t dare touch with a 10 foot barge pole, Jon S. Baird’s adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Filth would be it. The title essentially tells you exactly what you need to know – Filth is flithy, it is dirty, it is oppressive, it is depraved, it is nasty and it is downright insane.
Amid the insanity – substance abuse, auto-erotic asphyxiation, underage sex – is the mighty James McAvoy as Bruce Robertson, who plays an officer of the law who acts well outside of his mandate. McAvoy dives head first into this role, relishing in the depravity of Bruce and having a seriously good time playing one of the darkest, most corrupt characters he has ever encountered. The commitment to the role is impressive enough, but the fact that sympathy is felt for this monster as the film progresses is what makes him a character for the ages.
We have never seen McAvoy play with a role this dark before and it is great to see him kick back and dismantle his persona as the honest, well meaning and charming good guy. Filth maybe too filthy for the Academy, but James McAvoy’s performance should not go unaccounted. He’s majestic and plays with ease.