Factotum (2005)

75% of critics liked it
(112 reviews)
51% of users liked it
(18,847 ratings)

Norwegian director Bent Hamer follows up his quirky and critically acclaimed Kitchen Stories with a heartbreakingly humorous look at the life of depressive writer Hank Chinaski -- the fictional counterpart of real-life author Charles Bukowski. Adapted from Bukowski's 1975 novel of the same name,… More Norwegian director Bent Hamer follows up his quirky and critically acclaimed Kitchen Stories with a heartbreakingly humorous look at the life of depressive writer Hank Chinaski -- the fictional counterpart of real-life author Charles Bukowski. Adapted from Bukowski's 1975 novel of the same name, Hamer's film follows the perpetually unemployed, alcohol-swilling Chinaski (Matt Dillon) as he drifts through the city streets in search of a job that won't come between him and his first love, writing. Consistently rejected by the only publishing house he respects but driven to continue by the knowledge that he could do better than the authors they continually publish, Chinaski soon begins sleeping with fellow barfly Jan (Lili Taylor), a kindred spirit he meets while drowning his sorrows at a local watering hole. When Hank eventually gets abandoned by the only woman with whom he is able to relate, a brief fling with gold-digging floozy Laura (Marisa Tomei) finds him once again falling into a morose state of perpetual drunkenness and unemployment. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Bent Hamer
Written By: Charles Bukowski, Bent Hamer, Jim Stark
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Aug 18, 2006 Limited
On DVD: Dec 26, 2006
Studio: IFC Films

Critic Reviews

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
The transplant didn't take in Barfly, and it works no better here in Factotum. In each case, the baying of the boozehounds just seems repetitious and banal -- the noise endures but the joy is gone.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Quite dull, truth be told. As good as Dillon and Taylor are in their roles, making us side with them even as we despise them, there's not a whole lot that happens in a life ruled by the bottle, the butt and the shag.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
This is one of the best movies of the year, and one of the two or three best performances.
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
Factotum is right up there with Barfly as a distillation of Bukowskian badinage, despite the current film's sketchier provenance.
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle
Dillon is better now that he's settled into sturdy middle age. He makes more sense; I never got him as a Tiger Beat centerfold.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
I just didn't think the comic touches were very subtle and very funny and the other stuff we've just seen before.
Joshua Starnes, ComingSoon.net
Factotum is an existentialist indie film about the loneliness of the human condition, which is normally the cinematic equivalent of having a hole drilled in your head.
, Film4
An understated and atmospheric portrait of the artist as a young booze-hound built around a quiet but magnetic performance by Matt Dillon.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Minimalism-a-thon, numb from the very start
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
Dillon is an utterly excellent actor without ego.
Tom Meek, Boston Phoenix
The entire production hangs on Dillon, but he's up to the task, serving up Hank's heart with bottom-of-the-barrel bravado.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Norwegian director Bent Hamer ("Kitchen Stories") mines the rich literary soil of poet/novelist Charles Bukowski to issue forth a piquant cinematic showcase for Bukowski's talent and malaise.
Jonathan Kiefer, Sacramento News & Review
Wryly funny and understated and surprisingly easy to watch.
Karina Longworth, Cinematical
Will not please devotees of narrative closure, but it's a must for anyone who lives by our hero's credo: 'If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't try at all.'
Joe Lozito, Big Picture Big Sound
Unfortunately -- like its lead character -- the film doesn't do much more than drift from one scene to another.
Anton Bitel, Eye for Film
This portrait of an artist as a young sot reels and swaggers towards some kind of redemptive conclusion but, in a truly bold move on the part of the filmmakers, never quite gets there.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
The film unfolds at a leisurely pace and takes the form of a series of incidents and anecdotes, which works surprisingly well.
Rex Roberts, Film Journal International
Factotum isn't for everybody, certainly not the abstentious. But there's no denying it, Chinaski appeals to our inner anarchist.
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher
Dillon delivers with a cocky denseness that is at once hilarious and poignant...
Liz Braun, Jam! Movies
Bleak-ish, inebriated and quite exhilarating in the full-on Bukowski fashion.

Read all 21 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

xGary X

Deadbeat wannabe writer Henry Chinaski drifts from dead end job to dead end job while trying to hone his craft and find his next drink. Based on a hotch-potch of the works of cult literary figure Charles Bukowski, Factotum is a fair cinematic representation of his work; you get a few… More
Deadbeat wannabe writer Henry Chinaski drifts from dead end job to dead end job while trying to hone his craft and find his next drink. Based on a hotch-potch of the works of cult literary figure Charles Bukowski, Factotum is a fair cinematic representation of his work; you get a few chuckles over his reckless abandon in the face of polite society and imagine how liberating it would be to be able to just not give a shit. But at the end of the day, most people who don't give a shit aren't charming, charismatic rebels; they're just assholes. For this reason, Factotum seemed to me to be just a collection of scenes of an asshole getting drunk and losing jobs, and that's it. I didn't warm to him, he didn't show me any insights into the modern world. He was just a self-involved, self-important bore who occasionally quoted Bukowski to justify his own sorry existence, which pretty much sums up this film. If it's comedy drunks you want, Withnail & I, Fear And Loathing, Leaving Las Vegas and Trees Lounge are all far, far better than this self indulgent cinewank.
Ping C

At no point should you mistake this movie for being good. It is, in fact, a bad movie. It has a ton of inconsistencies and you rarely see 'Chinaski' honing his writing craft. That said, it has a few amusing moments, some decent acting, and it features a topless Marissa… More
At no point should you mistake this movie for being good. It is, in fact, a bad movie. It has a ton of inconsistencies and you rarely see 'Chinaski' honing his writing craft. That said, it has a few amusing moments, some decent acting, and it features a topless Marissa Tomei, which allows it to reclaim an additional star.
Anthony L

Definitely one for the fans of Bukowski, that said, it?s not really how I pictured Henry Chinaski and I started to worry towards the beginning of the film but by the end I was more than satisfied. Bent Hamer (great name) does a great job as does Dillon, both obviously love and… More
Definitely one for the fans of Bukowski, that said, it?s not really how I pictured Henry Chinaski and I started to worry towards the beginning of the film but by the end I was more than satisfied. Bent Hamer (great name) does a great job as does Dillon, both obviously love and understand Bukowski's work. Read the books and watch this film!
Ken S

Actorbation
Chris W

This is my kind of movie. I myself am not a skid row bum, and I am not wanting or trying to become one, but I find stuff like this very fascinating. I am a really big fan of Bukowski's work, and I found this to be a good adaptation. It wasn't the best, but I'm satisfied… More
This is my kind of movie. I myself am not a skid row bum, and I am not wanting or trying to become one, but I find stuff like this very fascinating. I am a really big fan of Bukowski's work, and I found this to be a good adaptation. It wasn't the best, but I'm satisfied with it. All of the performances (especially Matt Dillon's) are excellent. They make the hard-drinking, gambling, bum life look and seem cool, even though it really isn't. The lives these characters live are ones that no one should want to try to have, but they are so intriguing to observe. I think CB himself would have liked this adatation. For fans of the bum lifestyle, Bukowski, or basically plotless but poetic films about the down and out, this one's for you.
Michael G

A fun and often dismal movie that does as its protagonist does-drunkenly, yet eloquently meanders around from scene to scene with no real plan. Matt Dillon's performance is uneven (especially the narration) but enjoyable as are the supporting performances from Lili Taylor and… More
A fun and often dismal movie that does as its protagonist does-drunkenly, yet eloquently meanders around from scene to scene with no real plan. Matt Dillon's performance is uneven (especially the narration) but enjoyable as are the supporting performances from Lili Taylor and Marisa Tomei. Factotum is also filled with plenty of fun and random moments and though I'm sure it's supposed to be depressing, it never quite managed to drag me down with it.
Craig S

Directed by: Bent Hamer. Starring: Matt Dillon, Didier Flamand, Fisher Stevens, Marisa Tomei, Lili Taylor. I really don't know who Henry Chinaski is and I haven't seen any films based on him, so I… More
Directed by: Bent Hamer. Starring: Matt Dillon, Didier Flamand, Fisher Stevens, Marisa Tomei, Lili Taylor. I really don't know who Henry Chinaski is and I haven't seen any films based on him, so I can't compare it to anything else, this is a review from a film buffs view. Although the pacing is increasingly slow, even at around 90 minutes, each character is developed and surprisingly interesting and it kept me hanging on. Matt Dillon gives a truly outstanding performance as Henry Chinaski, or renamed Hank in the film. He injects heart and soul perfectly into the character....or at least what heart and soul there is, he plays a man who basically hates everything around him, he can't keep a job for more than a day, what money he gets goes to drinking, he doesn't care for anybody, especially women and is just out for sex, most of the time he writes about 'everything' and his alcoholism affects a lot of things in his life. The man at the end of the day is someone you would probably hate in real life, yet the script injects a low-brow comic humour into the character and we slowly study him through the film and with Matt's brilliant performance, we feel for the character, even if at times, its the way that he wants to be. Although the movie isn't outstanding by itself, it has some great insights in its dialogue on life, hilarious low-brow humour and an excellent performance from Matt Dillon.
William D

[size=3]"Factotum," starring [b]Matt Dillon[/b], is based on the life of Charles Bukowski, the renegade, self-taught, heavy-drinking American poet worshipped by many but generally ignored by the literary establishment. [/size][size=3]I think Bukowski is an absolutely… More
[size=3]"Factotum," starring [b]Matt Dillon[/b], is based on the life of Charles Bukowski, the renegade, self-taught, heavy-drinking American poet worshipped by many but generally ignored by the literary establishment. [/size][size=3]I think Bukowski is an absolutely fascinating figure. But this film, written and directed by [b]Bent Hamer[/b], has little to say about him. I found the film boring and empty almost from start to finish.[/size] [img]http://www.matchflick.com/flickimages/15736.jpg[/img] [size=3]The only saving grace is that it's still a pleasure to watch Matt Dillon act. I still find him magnetic. I also find him an interesting actor. He clearly could be a macho action film star. But instead he chooses artistic little movies to do. And the one film he directed, 2003's "City of Ghosts," while no masterpiece, is definitely good and should have been seen by more people. [/size] [size=3][He and I were also born the same year and not too far from each other, so I feel almost a brotherly feeling for him. He was born February 1964; I was born in October of that year. We were both born in the suburbs of NYC. I don't know for sure where he lives now, but I bet it's not too far from me.][/size] [img]http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/ifc_films/factotum/_group_photos/lili_taylor2.jpg[/img] [size=3][b]Marisa Tomei[/b] also is a pleasure to watch here. She only is in a few scenes, but she is unforgettable. I've never seen an actor play stoned and drunk more convincingly, and with so much heart coming through the blotto intoxication. [/size][size=3][b]Lili Taylor[/b] continues to be America's indie sweetheart. I love the films she chooses, but I rarely find her acting very engaging, including in this film.[/size] [size=3]The script and the direction are the real reasons this film falls flat. The dialogue is as empty as could be. Here's an example of what it's like:[/size] [size=3]Charles: "I have to get a job."[/size] [size=3]Girl: "OK, I'll go with you tomorrow and we'll apply."[/size] [size=3]Charles: "OK. Now let's have a drink."[/size] [size=3]Charles is shown writing a lot. But he never communicates to us about what he's experiencing. We just watch him scribbling, then walking to the mailbox to send a manuscript out, which always is rejected.[/size] [size=3]If the direction had been more inspired, maybe there could have been some poetry in the wordless passages, maybe something could have been conveyed. Instead the direction is among the most ordinary I've seen. The camera angles never are interesting; the camera never moves at all; there is not a single silent montage that evokes anything. It seems like Bent Hamer has only directed the most ordinary television shows and commercials. This is his first big film, and I suspect it will be his last.[/size] [img]http://blog.ties.be/tiesnthings/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/factotum01.jpg[/img]
Christopher M

Finally, a faithful portrayal of Bukowski's work to the big screen! This is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by the legendary Charles Bukowski, which tells an account of his protagonist Henry Chinaski (who is a synonym for Bukowski himself, pretty much) going from job… More
Finally, a faithful portrayal of Bukowski's work to the big screen! This is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by the legendary Charles Bukowski, which tells an account of his protagonist Henry Chinaski (who is a synonym for Bukowski himself, pretty much) going from job to job and woman to woman, drinking and writing and hoping for that one acceptance letter, like so many writers. Unlike the awful Barfly in 1987, where Mickey Rourke played Chinaski like a caricature and completely overdid it, Matt Dillon puts in a very inspired performance in Factotum, and actually very successfully captures what one might think of in a young Bukowski; he is subtle and balanced and really captures the essence of the character and the novel. The rest of the cast are good, as well. The only major thing that was changed for the film was that it is set current day, but this isn't a problem, it doesn't affect the adaptation. Clearly everything else was taken straight from the novel - even Dillon's narration was taken either directly from the pages of Factotum or from Bukowki's poetry, which was a very nice touch indeed. I think if Hank had still been alive to see this film, he would probably have been pleased with it, and that's the best compliment I can possibly give it.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]In "Factotum," Henry Chinaski(Matt Dillon) is a writer whose jobs of soul-demeaning manual labor are interfering with his drinking(so, the old joke goes...), leading to his frequent firings. Henry's vagabond existence changes when he meets the… More
[font=Century Gothic]In "Factotum," Henry Chinaski(Matt Dillon) is a writer whose jobs of soul-demeaning manual labor are interfering with his drinking(so, the old joke goes...), leading to his frequent firings. Henry's vagabond existence changes when he meets the enticing Jan(Lili Taylor) one night at a bar...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Factotum" is a somewhat engaging take on the writings of Charles Bukowski that only scratches the surface. Matt Dillon does an admittedly credible impersonation of Bukowski but he does not make the character his own. Nor is there any of the belligerence that would normally be associated with a drunk. But Marisa Tomei does manage to make an impression.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]The movie is set in the present day, without acknowledging the changes in technology that have had such an effect on the publishing industry. Since Bukowski started writing, magazines have given way to electronic publishing. And why film in Minneapolis, far away from Bukowski's native Los Angeles?[/font]
Dimitris S

A retrospective addition to a Bukowski adaptation,Hamer enters the U.S. memorandum quite impressively in this low-key drama.A category pretty much unfair regardless of the pseudo-sentimentality,paradoxes,not to mention furious nihilism.And Dillon as a doubtful shadow lurking in the… More
A retrospective addition to a Bukowski adaptation,Hamer enters the U.S. memorandum quite impressively in this low-key drama.A category pretty much unfair regardless of the pseudo-sentimentality,paradoxes,not to mention furious nihilism.And Dillon as a doubtful shadow lurking in the jazzy corners of a moody setting.
Marion R

I like Bukowski, but this had no point, it didn't flow or fit together. It was uninteresting, boring and dull. Dillon was okay.
Barry L

Very strange film.
FanGirl B

The type of story where you wonder why you should be interested and why are you watching it. Having said that a really good movie!