Factotum (2005)

Regisseur:

Bent Hamer

Drehbuchautoren:

Charles Bukowski (novel)
Bent Hamer (written by) ...

Premierendatum:

29. April 2005 (Norway)

Werbezeile:

What matters most is how you well you walk through the fire.

Plot:

This drama centers on Hank Chinaski, the fictional alter-ego of "Factotum" author Charles Bukowski, who wanders around Los Angeles, CA trying to live off jobs which don't interfere with his primary interest, which is writing. Along the way, he fends off the distractions offered by women, drinking and gambling. |

Plot Keywords:

Erection | Building On Fire | Drunk | Arrest | Addiction

Filmpreise:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Nutzerkommentare:

Wickedly funny, near perfect dark comedy

Besetzung

Matt Dillon	...	Henry Chinaski
Lili Taylor	...	Jan
Marisa Tomei	...	Laura
Fisher Stevens	...	Manny
Didier Flamand	...	Pierre
Adrienne Shelly	...	Jerry
Karen Young	...	Grace
Thomas Lyons	...	Tony Endicott (as Tom Lyons)
Dean Brewington	...	Old Black Man
James Cada	...	Bald Man
James Michael Detmar	...	Smithson
Kurt Schweickhardt	...	Ice Plant Supervisor
Dee Noah	...	Hank's Mother
James Noah	...	Hank's Father
Michael Egan	...	Taxi Office Clerk

Alternativ:

Factotum (France)
Factotum: A Man Who Performs Many Jobs (USA) (long title)

Länge:

94 Min

Produktionsland:

France | Deutschland | Sweden | USA | Norway

Sprache:

Englisch

Farbe:

Farbe

Seitenverhältnis:

1.85 : 1

Tonverfahren:

Dolby Digital

Altersfreigabe:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:12 | Ireland:16 | USA:R (MPAA rating) | Germany:12 | UK:15 | Singapore:M18 | Hong Kong:IIB | Brazil:16 | Australia:M | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Norway:15 | Finland:K-15 | USA:R

Drehorte:

Canterbury Park Racetrack - 1100 Canterbury Road, Shakopee, Minnesota, USA

Firma:

Arte

Dies und das:

'Sean Penn' was the first choice for the role of Henry Chinaski.

Pannen:

Filmfehler: The want ad that Henry circles contains an incomplete sentence. The first line reads: "Begin in delivery room and work un-" then the second line begins "Contact Mr. Heathercliff".

Dialogzitate:

Henry Chinaski: All I want to do is get my check and get drunk.

Bezüge zu anderen Titeln:

Ausschnittsweise enthalten in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2006-09-02)" (2006)

Wickedly funny, near perfect dark comedy

Deliciously acerbic, wickedly funny, fast paced, expertly crafted dark comedy. Based on an autobiographical novel by the misanthropic Charles Bukowski, The Norwegian co-writer-director Bent Hamer, who made the droll 2003 comedy, "Kitchen Stories," has created a nearly perfect film here. Factotum, we are told in the opening credits, is a word that means "a person who performs many jobs." Indeed, the story is more-or-less organized around the myriad jobs sought and botched by the protagonist, unsuccessful short story writer and all around lowlife Henry Chinaski (Matt Dillon). The other principal organizing focus in Chinaski's life is the women he squeezes and drinks with, primarily slutty Jan (Lili Taylor) and, more passingly, the somewhat classier Laura (Marisa Tomei). Rounding out the cast are Henry's horse race handicapping buddy Manny (Fisher Stevens) and Pierre, a wealthy Frenchman who composes operas and surrounds himself with prostitutes (Didier Flamand).

If one were to posit a film genre called comedy noir - dark, devilish American comedies set in lowlife surrounds like taverns and sleazy apartments, when possible dimly lit and narrated by the anti-hero protagonist, intoning in flat, world-weary, matter-of-fact voiceovers, as in a Raymond Chandler detective story - then "Factotum" would be the defining film for this genre. What other films to include? Among recent ones, "Hustle & Flow" comes quickly to mind. "The Big Lebowski," and maybe some other films by the Coens. Quite a lot of Jim Jarmusch's oeuvre, but "Down By Law" for sure. Steve Buscemi's "Trees Lounge." "Pulp Fiction," of course. This film is steeped in richly cynical dialogue, well written (in collaboration with Jim Stark, who also co-wrote "Cold Fever"), well photographed (by John Christian Rosenlund), and well edited (alas, no credit is given for this achievement on either the IMDb or the film's own website). Dillon and Taylor give superb turns. My grade: 10/10 (A)