by kellie abrahamson kabrahamson1@aol.com
Henry Chinaski (Matt Dillon) has an undeniable urge to write. It’s a force that causes him to cast everything and everyone else aside. Henry is determined to get his work published and when he finishes a short story he immediately mails it off to Black Sparrow Press for consideration. When the urge to write has passed, Henry spends his time drinking too much booze, bouncing from one menial job to another in order to pay the rent and having sex with women as down on their luck as he is. Once he’s been thoroughly sidetracked, he goes back to writing and so on. While drowning his sorrows in a local bar, Henry meets the love of his miserable life, the equally self-destructive Jan (Lili Taylor). The two hit all-time-lows together and split, sending Henry into the arms of Laura (Marisa Tomei), a trampy bar-hopper who mooches off of a rich old man along with a pair of hookers. Henry is a loser and everyone in his life knows it, himself included. But, he’s able to justify his lack of a “real” life with his passion for writing, stating that “if you’re going to try, go all the way… otherwise don’t even start.”
Factotum was directed by Norwegian filmmaker Bent Hamer and was adapted from the novel by Charles Bukowski. The character of Henry Chinaski is Bukowski’s alter-ego and has been the protagonist of five of his novels. Factotum was made in 24 days in locations all over Minnesota. The low budget indie flick has been making the rounds at European film festivals for the past year and a half and is now available on DVD for American audiences to enjoy.
The Factotum DVD only has one true bonus feature: a 30 minute documentary on Bent Hamer’s work and the making of the film itself. This featurette was made for Norwegian TV and is subtitled in English. The documentary covers Hamer’s earlier films Eggs, Water Easy Reach and Kitchen Stories. Highlights include a charming interview with Marisa Tomei and hearing Hamer say “thank you” instead of “cut” at the end of each scene. Beyond this nice supplement, there is also a promo for the film’s soundtrack and the theatrical trailer.
The acting in Factotum is probably some of the best I’ve ever seen from Matt Dillion. He looks terrible as Chinaski: bloated, red in the face, unkempt. His deadpan performance is at times hilarious and at other times frustrating. In other words, he was perfect for this character. I can’t think of a single person who would have done better. Marisa Tomei also turns in a terrific performance which turned out to be unlike any I’ve seen from her.
Aside from the fantastic casting, Factotum is a difficult film to nail down. None of the characters are very likable and their actions are even more despicable than they are. The film sort of meanders along, taking the viewer deeper and deeper into the anti-hero’s ever spiraling life of excess and bad decisions. It’s not pretty. Sometimes it’s downright depressing. It doesn’t seem to go anywhere, Henry’s life never really changes; his actions never really lead him anywhere new. In many ways, Factotum is pointless. The ambiguity of this story is the film’s blessing and its curse. Viewers are able to take from the story whatever they want. To me, Henry’s tale is about passion. He loves writing; it’s the only thing he knows how to stick with and it’s what keeps him from being a total nobody. His romance with Jan, his brief foray into gambling, his love for alcohol: it is all giving him material for his great masterpiece. Like he says in his final monologue: “if you’re going to try, go all the way.” Of course, my synopsis could be totally different from someone else’s. My story of passion may be your cautionary tale. That’s the cool thing about films like this. No one point of view is right or wrong. By the same token, I know many people who would much rather watch a film with a clear message. Factotum is simply not the movie for them.
I strongly recommend this film to people who enjoy films that force you to look beyond the surface. This is a movie that will grow on you. You may not like it at first. You may not even want to finish it. You most likely won’t want to watch it again. But it will stick with you and it may end up teaching you something about yourself and the way you see the world. Factotum is a unique film that deserves to be watched by those who will be willing to give it a solid chance.
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