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 [however much] self-inflicted malaise of booze, tobacco, and sleaze.
Set amongst Minneapolis’ gray streets of factories and warehouses, the story attends Matt Dillon as Bukowski-alter-ego Henry Chinaski in his struggles to hold down any kind of job to support his addiction to alcohol and loose women.
A "factotum" is a person employed to do all kinds of work or business. Matt Dillon plays against type opposite a beautifully weathered Lily Taylor.
"Factotum" is an understated celebration of Bukowski and America’s working class victims, or slaves, as they are more accurately abused.
Rated R. 94 mins.
