great acting

Hank's social capital allowed him to float above some serious shit in the eighties. But to put this stewbum-as-Rocky schlock-dumpster flick across as serious Film was just too much for me. Read his books, that's all he really wanted you to do in the first place.

Perfect dialogues!

Great story and pacing. Funny as hell, too.

I really liked this.

The script was written by Charles Bukowski. If you consider this, Rourke is another alter ego of him, like all those drunk and gross characters he created in so many poetries. Rourke acts great, and plays the role of the drunken genius convincing. If you like Bukowski give it a try.

Barfly: 7 // 10 // 8 // 6 // 7 // 7 // 7

This movie rides on the strength of its two leads. Rourke's embodiment of this particular character is total. A tumultuous, but somewhat typical episode of these people's crazed, alcohol-fueled lives.

Do all stewbums win this many fights against larger opponents and get girlfriends who look like Faye Dunaway?

Mickey Rourke played phenomenally. I did not know him from comedy side. Impossible distance

Good job by Rourke, an unlikable actor well cast in an unlikable role, and making an effort on top of it. Dunaway, however, is so very drab and untalented, she shouldn't even portray unpleasant women. Schroeder's Henry Chinaski is more cynicism and less lyricism than the Chinaski in Bent Hamer's Factotum (2006), and Barfly is more uneasy to watch, but definitely better (though Factotum's good too).

Deliciously cynical.

i probably like this way too much