Barfly (1987)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Michael G

  
  Usually when you see two people in as rough a shape as Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway look on the poster you don't expect a hell of a lot of entertainment out of that movie. Just honest misery. Fortunately, the late Charles Bukowski wrote Barfly and its entertaining as all hell.… More
  Usually when you see two people in as rough a shape as Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway look on the poster you don't expect a hell of a lot of entertainment out of that movie. Just honest misery. Fortunately, the late Charles Bukowski wrote Barfly and its entertaining as all hell. Rourke appropriately seems to play a mumbling caricature of Bukowski and a still attractive Dunaway fits the bill nicely. The soundtrack is outstanding and for as much as Bukowski's script shuffles along as Hank Chinaski himself does, its definitely hysterical and you don't really seem to mind. Cram that in with director Barbet Schroeder's talent for filling the movie with all kinds of grit and characters and the good times are rolling...

• Eric S

  
  A brilliant film with what I believe to be Mickey Roarke's finest piece of work as an actor. The film was written by poet-author Charles Bukowski, and Roarke's character is based on Bukowski himself. Henry(Roarke) spends most of his time at the bar, getting into the… More
  A brilliant film with what I believe to be Mickey Roarke's finest piece of work as an actor. The film was written by poet-author Charles Bukowski, and Roarke's character is based on Bukowski himself. Henry(Roarke) spends most of his time at the bar, getting into the occasional fistfight with the bartender Eddie which is so well portrayed by Frank Stallone, and gets involved with a haggard alcoholic portrayed by Faye Dunaway. Henry puts all the money he wins from his streetfights into his drink of choice, scotch and water, and occasionally buys one for the house, "To all my friends!" There's really not much going on with the story itself, but this film is simply entertaining, and manages to keep some humor in it's dim premise. Simplicity is usually better, and this film is a good example of what can be done when the right group of artists are put together.

• jay n

  
  Good acting can only help a film so far, this one is an ugly, depressing experience.

• Lafe F

  
  A rotten and dismal film. I did like that it ended, exactly how it started.

• Christopher M

  
  Disappointing, to say the least. I had never even heard of this movie, until it was covered in the documentary Bukowski: Born Into This - you see this script was apparently written by American literary legend, Charles Bukowski, in the later stages of his life (he has a brief cameo in… More
  Disappointing, to say the least. I had never even heard of this movie, until it was covered in the documentary Bukowski: Born Into This - you see this script was apparently written by American literary legend, Charles Bukowski, in the later stages of his life (he has a brief cameo in the film). What it mentioned in the documentary was that Bukowski and his wife were quite disappointed in how the film turned out, and I can see why now. The script was written about his alter-ego, Henry Chinaski, who was the protagonist of much of his work in poetry & prose. Chinaski is basically a different version of himself, and as such, Rourke is essentially playing Charles Bukowski, and he fails in this respect. Rourke's performance is a somewhat over-the-top caricature. The script is great but Rourke's delivery saps a lot of meaning out of most of the material, leaving us with a vacuous dark comedy. I think a lot of that is also due to the director, Barbet Schroeder, though - he really doesn't show much respect for the material, and the fact that most of this would have come from Bukowski's actual life. He puts his own spin on it, but it really spins out of control and becomes something that, while watchable, you get the sense was meant to be an entirely different monster. Even Faye Dunaway, who I usually love, doesn't add much to the proceedings. It's an okay film, but I can't really recommend it. In the end it just made me want a drink.

• Mike T

  
  A very disappointing film considering the talent involved, but it's still worth a look for Bukowski enthusiasts. The screenplay is written by Charles Bukowski himself, and it encompasses almost all of the themes prevalent throughout his work. However, director Barbet Schroeder… More
  A very disappointing film considering the talent involved, but it's still worth a look for Bukowski enthusiasts. The screenplay is written by Charles Bukowski himself, and it encompasses almost all of the themes prevalent throughout his work. However, director Barbet Schroeder takes an approach to the material that I found to be underwhelming. Instead of exploring the script as a realistic drama, the film is played out as an outrageous black comedy. Mickey Rourke is particularly disappointing, since he's an actor I admire and respect so much. He takes big chances with this role and goes beyond over-the-top. Unfortunately, the result is a performance that feels forced and at times downright obnoxious. He also has moments of strength, but they're too sporadic. Faye Dunaway does the best acting in the film, playing a memorable and convincing supporting character. The writing is good, and deserves recognition, but the adaptation doesn't do it justice.

• Dimitris S

  
  This is how American cinema should be...openly dense and fearlessly howling to all contenders,bouts from every corner of this world.It's a terrible newsreel,Bukowski on the screenplay of a Schroeder film,pessimistic,as far as the jackals can move...Rourke in an electrifying… More
  This is how American cinema should be...openly dense and fearlessly howling to all contenders,bouts from every corner of this world.It's a terrible newsreel,Bukowski on the screenplay of a Schroeder film,pessimistic,as far as the jackals can move...Rourke in an electrifying performance.I gotta get a drink...

• Chosen 7

  
  From what I remember..it was a good film.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings