FACTOTUM - 2005
Directed by Bent Hamer, Starring Matt Dillon and Lili Taylor.
Holy crap! I just saw this gem last night, for two reasons: I know the Production Designer and I recently read Bukowski's Ham on Rye. Right out of the gate, Dillon is a great Bukowski. Just gross and haggard enough to portray an alcoholic dead beat asshole writer with potential. And his voice, frequently narrating and quoting text, was a wonderful raspy addition to the grit of the film. Lili Taylor, doomed to being perfect in secondary roles in tiny movies, was a of course perfect casting choice. And that's damn important in a film like this.
Noticeably great sound design!
The reason I found this movie to be of worth was that I did not know what the word factotum meant before seeing the first five minutes of the movie. It means having many jobs. And so this is relevant to me and my many job-ed lifestyle, and so I'm thinking the whole time: Good thing I'm not an alcoholic yet, Good thing I have a place to live, Gotta keep writing...
My advice: See it if you like Bukowski and slow movies. Factotum won't change your life, or... maybe it will. Maybe you'll be stabbed while watching it or meet your soul mate in the theater, how the fuck can I say?
Please note: I am the only person, it seems, with anything good to say about this film. That happens sometimes.
