364. Dirty God; movie review

DIRTY GOD
Cert 15
104 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong sex, sex references, nudity, drug misuse, very strong language

Wow, this is powerful.
Recently, I was bemoaning the lack of quality of cinema releases in 2019. Thankfully, films such as Dirty God keep us coming back for more.
Sacha Polak's movie stars the remarkable Vicky Knight who suffered 33 per cent burns in a fire which claimed the life of her two cousins and the man who saved her.
That was when was eight years old - thereafter she was bullied at school and even called a "monster" and was duped into appearing in a TV programme entitled Too Ugly To Love.
Vicky's courage in starring as an acid attack victim in Dirty God is remarkable enough. Her performance is one of the most memorable of the year.
No surprise that she plays the part with such conviction - because she has lived with ghastly reactions - similar to those in the film - for most of her life.
But this isn't just a 9/10 for Knight. Polak's movie is so riveting because it doesn't make the audience feel sorry for her character, Jade.
Indeed, it paints her as self-centred and foul-mouthed, caring little for those around her even her baby daughter (Eliza Brady-Girard), mother (Katherine Kelly) and best friend (Rebecca Stone).
She does the dirty on all three as she finds it impossible to acclimatise to life after the attack in which she nearly died.
Dirty God felt shatteringly real. Jade is a feisty young woman who appears already to have been struggling with trying to find her place in society before being horribly disfigured.
She clings on to hopes that her scars will heal or that plastic surgeons can improve them and is, therefore, vulnerable to charlatans.
Meanwhile, she longs for a relationship, despite the obvious hurdles.
In her eyes, the world is against her but she does little to bring potential allies onside.
Polak has done a terrific job with a low budget in reflecting the intensity of the aftermath of such a horrible incident.
Her sharp observations and those of co-writer Susie Farrell have created many more layers than would have been thought possible.

Reasons to watch: Remarkable performance by Vicky Knight.
Reasons to avoid: Crosses several boundaries

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 9/10

Did you know? Vicky Knight usually works as a healthcare assistant at Broomfield hospital in Chelmsford, caring for people in the same burns unit in which she spent a great deal of her childhood.

The final word. Vicky Knight: ""I was in such a bad place inside my head before we started filming, I hated myself. I had completely hit rock bottom. But since I've done this film, I am so proud of the way I look." Barking & Dagenham Post

Share this post