Dirty Filthy Love

I recently watched this film a few days ago and I must say, it really took me by surprise. At the start of the film, I cracked up at the main character's behavior and the deeper I got into the film, I realized that I know someone who has the same problem but not as severely. The main actor did so well with the twitching and facial movements it made me think of the person I know who does the EXACT same thing. You feel deeply what the character does and he truly wants to control his problem but needs to face reality that he has a mental illness(?). Definitely a movie worth watching and one that will get you thinking about people who suffer or handle their OCD/Tourette's Syndrome.

I had been eagerly anticipating this one off drama special ever since ITV started the advertising campaign a few weeks previously. The story of a man whose life is torn apart by an obsessive compulsive disorder was certainly a break from the monotonous murder mystery garbage the channel usually churns out in the Sunday 9pm time slot.

However, I'm afraid to report that I was disappointed with the final result. Yes, Dirty Filthy Love was an impressive piece of drama. From the very start the audience was made to feel as in they too were in Mark's obsessive universe, due the intelligent use of camera angles. The viewer almost felt that character's own discomfort themselves. And yes, the central story of Mark's marriage to Stevie breaking down helped to create a genuine sense of sadness for the character & his plight.

However, the feeling created for Mark was one of sympathy, not empathy. I couldn't help but feel that by making light of OCDs, the film-makers had certainly spun out a confused narrative. Was it a comedy? Was it a drama? It was hard to know what the makers' intentions were. Were we supposed to be laughing at the illness, or feeling sorry for them?

Of course, I know the old saying - if you can't laugh at something all you can do is cry. And I know that being able to lighten up about a serious subject is a very healthy thing to do. And OCD is certainly an illness that creates plenty of opportunities for joke-making. I know because I am a sufferer of the condition myself. However, I just felt that there were sometimes were the makers should have resisted the temptation to go for the laugh-factor, & concentrated more on showing the true complexities.

The fact is OCD is a condition that can not be neatly tied up in a Sunday night prime-time slot. For most, there is no beginning, middle and end. Its something that can fester and fester for years, causing a secret, constant pain to the sufferer. The extreme outcome of Mark's case was most certainly done for drama purposes.

I hope that those who watched and had no previous understanding of the condition came away more educated. But I doubt that they did. For the most part I predict that the audience came away thinking, "Its so weird, I just don't get it. Chocolate powder on his face? But I liked him though, he was a nice character."

The thing is OCD is not just something that occurs in extreme cases. I'm sure that most people who watched & were baffled by the quirky behaviours actual have some small OCD 'quirks' themselves. Ask yourselves this - have you ever checked, doubled checked & checked again that all the light switches are off or that the bedside alarm is set correctly? Do you often ensure that everything around you is 'straightened' and tidied up before you relax on the couch? Have you ever been convinced that a particular item of clothing has been responsible for an occurrence of bad/good luck?

Maybe the issues at hand are closer than you may have realized.

The ever-impressive Michael Sheen plays Mark Furness. We meet Mark as he is just coming to terms with his illness: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Tourette's Syndrome. The increasing toll his illness takes is the breakup of his marriage and the loss of his job as an architect. He joins a self-help group where he meets Charlotte (played by Shirley Henderson) who clearly is the correct partner for him, who happens to be similarly afflicted, but he still obsesses after his estranged wife, amongst other things.

As someone with a close relative who suffers from OCD, I was suspicious of this TV film. I thought it may be either insensitive or on the other hand schmaltzy. I was pleased to find out that the film was neither. I suspect one or both of the writers and/or the director is familiar with OCD as the film is funny without being exploitative and heartbreaking without being schmaltzy.

The greatest credit has to go to both Michael Sheen and Shirley Henderson, the lead actors. Both were absolutely excellent when the temptation for some actors in this position could have been to go over the top. Michael Sheen is sure to be a big name soon.

I note that, at the time of writing, this page recommends "Love Actually" if you liked "Dirty Filthy Love". People, please understand that the two are *not* alike--"Dirty Filthy Love" is *much* better! It has real people in it, and real comedy, and real heartbreak. And no blockbuster soundtrack with uplifting music on.

The two lead characters suffer from OCD and Tourettes, and meet at a support group. This sounds like it's going to be a very naff film, I know, which is why I was confused when my reliable Guardian TV guide raved on about how it was the treat of the year. But, as usual, they were right--this is a beautiful film with great comedy and great pain. Just of course, like real life. Amazingly, it's very sympathetic to sufferers.

Please, see this if you can, it's a great and moving indie film.

Dirty Filthy Love is one of the best films produced for British TV in 2004. Michael Sheen is a simply wonderful actor who will be BIG if he gets the breaks. As a man suffering from a marriage bust up compounded by Compulsive Obsessive Disorder and Tourette's, he injects a huge amount of pathos and humour into the role. Long after the film is over you will still be seeing Michael barking like a dog and swearing uncontrollably at complete strangers. It's a brave, touching and very funny film about a difficult subject told without artificial sentimentality, thoroughly recommended. When you've seen this, rush off to get Sheen in another little British gem 'Heartlands'.