Barfly

O'Rourke and Dunaway are both convincing in their roles, but the lack of story leaves you wishing there was something more for these actors and characters to do.

Do all stewbums win this many fights against larger opponents and get girlfriends who look like Faye Dunaway?

If you want a film that matches the Bukowski novels tonally, here it is. Barfly's breezy with little in the way of consequences, and you can't really understand what the appeal of Henry is... but that's the point. Henry schmoozes around, gets involved with some women, drinks all the time and occasionally drops delicious dialogue nuggets. He's brought to life wonderfully by Rourke. Love the music too.

All the side characters seem a bit too eccentric, but Faye Dunaway kills it!

Everything I dislike about Bukowski with very little of what I do like. It's like fan fiction about himself - supercool writing genius who fucks everyone and wins fights. It's all his facade with none of those beautiful cracks (this is a problem with his novels as well). There's no poetry to it, and worse, there's very little honesty. Like, the fighting neighbor bit was clearly directed by someone who's never heard a bad fight through thin walls. It sounds like The Honeymooners.

The script was written by Charles Bukowski. If you consider this, Rourke is another alter ego of him, like all those drunk and gross characters he created in so many poetries. Rourke acts great, and plays the role of the drunken genius convincing. If you like Bukowski give it a try.

This is my favourite role by Mickey Rourke, he knocks the assignment right out of the park.. Faye Dunaway is also great in this film.There is not much plot in this movie but it is filled with colourful characters. Overall I would highly recommend this film.

Rourke is awesome

This film is infused with a wonderful spark of aimless madness and I dearly love it. Mickey Rourke is not "doing" Bukowski, but really finds his own wild exaggerated interpretation. He's a joy to watch. Faye Dunaway is unglamorously glamorous.

not a fan of Bukowski, so I normally would've avoided this. And overall, I think my instinct was right: this plays like an advertisement of Bukowski's persona. What kind of turns it around is mainly Rourke, who treats this role with the appropriate ridiculousness, down to the walking around like Torgo all the time. Dunaway also makes the best of what she's given. I also appreciated how, unlike many movies about drunks, it avoids getting tragic or pathetic

Rourke perfectly encapsulates everything about a certain take on Bukowski and for that it’s beautiful.

kind of like in End of Tour it’s the author, this time Bukowski, being made out to be everything that detractors say he is. Instead of the poetry that makes Bukowski an interesting writer it’s all the external “cool” stuff that makes him seem more than he is. All vanity. Mostly hollow. That said, it’s still a decent movie with Rourke being a fun drunk.

Rourke brilliantly inhabits the world of a Bukowski booze bum, and then there's the scene where he takes off his shirt and we see his chiseled boxer's body. He obviously didn't go the full De Niro or Bale.

barf fly

Henry: "Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead."

See jodamico's review. Also the way Rourke speaks is annoying as fuck.

Pretty good.

Tech Scores: Directing 7 Screenplay 10 Cinematography 7 Editing 7 Acting 10 Sound Design & Music Score 8 Other Techs 7 Overall Scores: Whole Movie 8 Myself 10 WoW 3 (amazing performances!)

It probably helps to be a fan of Charles Bukowski's writing to fully appreciate Barfly. Mickey Rourke perfectly captures the gnarly humor of Bukowski's alter ego, Henry Chinaski, as he drinks, gets into fights, gains employment and loses it, and even occasionally writes. I really enjoyed Barfly but admit it may not be to everyone's taste. If you haven't already, go out and read some Bukowski first - Post Office, Women, or Factotum maybe. If you like his writing you'll get a kick out of this.

Viewed November 7, 2016.

(...)Barfly entspringt aus der Welt der Trinker, in der ein Schritt nicht zwingend zum nächsten führt. Zwischen dem Kater danach und vor dem nächsten Suff kann alles passieren. Barbet Schroeder hat den Film gemacht nach einem (dem einzigen!) Original-Drehbuch Bukowskis.(...)

rourke är så irriterande men han växer

Mickey Rourke is all in.

It's appropriate that I watch this while kinda drunk. Also, I get unreasonably excited whenever I see Jack Nance in a movie.

Faye Dunaway acts like Cat Lady and beats everyone. "Regard the society of women as a necessary unpleasantness of social life and avoid it as much as possible."

Rourke and his convincing turn as a jacked up stewbum deserved a better script and ultimately a better movie. This was just painful to watch. Too fucking depressing and only mildly entertaining.

i prefer read bukowski its not good watching bukowski's story.

Drinking movies are always fun. Sordid assholes are always interesting. You put them together and what do you know here's a good movie.

A perfect depiction of the vacuous and dysfunctional life of a living alcoholic, particularly one with lost potential. Mickey Rourke plays the character naturally and was a great performance. The film was uneven all around but the light philosophical undertones and dry ol' timer humor made it interesting. The 80's was quite a convenient time to be a drunk.

The world and language of Bukowski translated to the screen, and through this medium it seems so much more sadder and less exciting than it was on page (at least for the first third). Rourke translates Henry Chinaski unsuccessfully (he's too boastful and bashful) but it's still a good performance of a down-and-out drunk that prefers to stay that way: no wonder women fight over him.

how fucking awesome are these performances? :o

Sarcastic and genius.

Laborer, no experience. Heyyy, that's me.

Rourke like never seen before of after. He was also great in The Wrestler, it's like he was made to act worn out he-men. The main difference is that Bukow.. ah, Chinaski character finds meaning and purpose in self-destruction and meaninglessness of life. And who is to say that this philosophy is wrong. Overall, this movie is a bit too light to deliver heavy messages, but you really might want to see Rourke's acting.

Okay Movie

I found this too starry for a Bukowski adaptation. I mean, here you have Chinaski, a really ugly but tough guy, and who plays it? Mickey Rourke, the baby-face No.1 of the time! And the glamorous Dunaway? Was she really appropriate for Chinaski's broken, older love? I did enjoy the movie partly and it's difficult not to recommend it. (After all, it's Bukowski.) I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't read any Bukowski. But what's the point in that? - Note: Try the movie Factotum after this.

I really liked this.

Barfly: 7 // 10 // 8 // 6 // 7 // 7 // 7

This movie rides on the strength of its two leads. Rourke's embodiment of this particular character is total. A tumultuous, but somewhat typical episode of these people's crazed, alcohol-fueled lives.

Mickey Rourke played phenomenally. I did not know him from comedy side. Impossible distance

Great story and pacing. Funny as hell, too.

Perfect dialogues!

Good job by Rourke, an unlikable actor well cast in an unlikable role, and making an effort on top of it. Dunaway, however, is so very drab and untalented, she shouldn't even portray unpleasant women. Schroeder's Henry Chinaski is more cynicism and less lyricism than the Chinaski in Bent Hamer's Factotum (2006), and Barfly is more uneasy to watch, but definitely better (though Factotum's good too).

Hank's social capital allowed him to float above some serious shit in the eighties. But to put this stewbum-as-Rocky schlock-dumpster flick across as serious Film was just too much for me. Read his books, that's all he really wanted you to do in the first place.

great acting

Score based on distant memory.

Deliciously cynical.

i probably like this way too much

Em honra do centenário de Charles Bukowski. Nunca consegui gostar do Bukowski, mesmo quando eu era jovem e impressionavel (embora as coisas que ele escreveu sobre gatos estejam entre as melhores do tema), idsso inclui esse filme que vi pela primeira vez quando adolescente e que agora na revisão ficou na mesma, além de tudo o Rourke dos anos 80 era bonito demais para ser alter-ego dele. Blu-ray rip YTS.