Critique: Film> Reviews.

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

-- Henry Chinaski (Mickey Rourke)

After reading Charles Bukowski's collection of poems You Get So Alone At Times That It Makes Sense, I found myself having more in common with the laureate of lowlife that any other writer I have come across. But considering that Bukowski was also a drunk, a womaniser and lived in poverty, I'm not sure if that's a good thing.

Barfly is Bukowski's semi-autobiographical film, particularly concerned with the ten years he [apparently] spent drinking and publishing very little of his work. Henry Chinaski (Bukowski's alter ego, played here by Mickey Rourke) is a talented writer, but spends his days scraping money together to buy food and booze. In his drunken states, he picks fights with the stocky bartender (Frank Stallone) and somehow manages to attract the attention of two beautiful women (Faye Dunaway; Alice Krige), who end up squabbling over him.

It's not a pretty picture, but the exploration of poverty and the human condition is done in such a way that we begin to look at the characters with a hint of admiration, rather than sentimentalism, or even pity. Despite his drunkenness and not having a job, we never really think of Henry as a complete loser; Barfly is a black comedy with a lot of heart. We laugh at the messes he finds himself in, but we become aware of the character's dignity via the rare moments he speaks out about his ragged life:

"Sometimes I just get tired of thinking of all the things that I don't wanna do. All the things that I don't wanna be. Places I don't wanna go, like India, like getting my teeth cleaned. Save the whale, all that, I don't understand that."

Bukowski's screenplay is masterful, as it doesn't attempt to preach about the sufferings of being a writer and alcoholic on skid row. If Bukowski was still here today, I'm sure he would agree that these were these were individual choices, and he wasn't looking for any sympathy. Rather than ramble, the film's characters speak poetry; the dialogue is really quite touching in places.

Mickey Rourke's performance may be credited as the best he's ever done; Faye Dunaway is also just as impressive as Henry's drunken equal. Barfly is ultimately a character-driven story of alcoholism, loneliness and poverty -- it paints a picture of a grim reality. Like much of Bukowski's writing, the film is an acquired taste, but those that appreciate humanism from every corner of this world will love Barfly.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2009.