MADONNA seems to be mightily impressed with the talents of gypsy punk band GOGOL BORDELLO.

The Material Girl offered moustached frontman EUGENE HUTZ a lead role in her new movie project Filth And Wisdom. Eugene spent the last week shooting with Madonna on location in London before heading back out on the road.

A source said: “He was thrilled and surprised when she asked him to join the cast. It was an offer that you can’t really turn down.”

Madge is directing the low-budget comedy, about a pop star on the make. Old pal RICHARD E GRANT is among the cast, playing a blind writer.

Richard reckoned the Queen of Pop was coping well in her first stint at the helm of a film.

He said of the tale: “It’s autobiographical to her own experience, but there is no lookalike wannabe Madonna in it as there was in the film version of my early life.

“She was very exact and particular about what she wanted as a director and she was very impressive.”