Director:
Bent Hamer
Cast:
Matt Dillon”¦.. Hank Chinaski
Lili Taylor”¦.. Jan
Marisa Tomei”¦.. Laura
Fisher Stevens”¦.. Manny
Didier Flamand”¦.. Pierre
Factotum n.
An employee or assistant who serves in a wide range of capacities.
Based on the acclaimed second novel by Charles Bukowski, Factotum was first published in 1975 and its big screen counterpart is the brainchild of Bent Hamer. Starring Matt Dillon, Lili Taylor and Marisa Tomei, the film is one of the biggest surprises of 2006.
Factotum is based on the character of Hank Chinaski (believed to be based on Bukowski’s alter ego and played by Matt Dillon). Chinaski is the stereotypical writer, who resembles more of a bum than the author that he believes he is. Living on a steady diet of beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Chinaski is a renaissance man in an uncultured sense. Indeed it is Chinaski’s anti-protagonist status that makes the movie not about its lead finding himself as much as it is about the different paths that he takes.
As many wannabe Whitman’s can attest to, working as a writer is tough and while Chinaski works as an ice truck driver, a furniture salesman, and as a line worker at a pickle factory during the course of the film, sex is clearly his primary occupation.
When he meets Jan (Lili Taylor), their relationship lives and breathes with their bottles. The romance is sincere and destructive at the same time as Chinaski finds solace in his alcohol and Jan finds solace in him.
Although there isn’t really a real plot to follow as it is more of an examination into who Hank is, the movie works for a few reasons.
The dialogue is sharp and pointed. The dry humor makes the barely-there plot more than tolerable and it is the acting where the movie really stands out.
While he is perhaps best known for his supporting role in Crash, Matt Dillon is clearly an actor that can satisfy the lead role in any film. His versatility is unparalleled and it is his performance in Factotum that rises above all of his other parts. He manages to evoke sympathy and understanding from the audience despite his character’s inability to hold on to any job for more than a couple of days and his addiction to alcohol. Perhaps it is the gritty determination of Dillon’s portrayal that makes Hank a character that the audience wants to pull for. Maybe it is Chinaski’s inability to give in to a system that seems to offer him nothing. The fact is that although the audience is not supposed to root for a boozing and irresponsible lead, the unbelievable performance invests them into Chinaski’s successes and failures and that is perhaps the highest compliment that can be paid to any actor.
The brilliant supporting actors also play a role in Factotum‘s impressiveness. Lily Tomlin’s depiction of Jan is raw and visceral. She accurately depicts a girl that a guy like Chinaski could meet at a bar, despite not only his lack of employment but his lack of prospects as well. The pair fit together well, and a great sequence takes place in the middle of the film when Chinaski finally starts earning real money by betting on horses. When he walks into her place wearing a new suit, Jan screams for the man she used to know. The one who was a cheap drink and an even cheaper lover.
While Marisa Tomei puts the supporting in ‘supporting characte’ with her brief role as Laura in the film, she shines as usual. She serves as a counter to Jan’s neediness. Although Laura does not have a lot, she is more of a fighter than Hank and Jan and is able to get by without complaint. While her means are questionable, she still is self-reliant and that is an admirable trait to maintain in a movie that is basically about the things people don’t have.
Fisher Stevens is also solid as the closest thing Chinaski has to a best friend. While their relationship is based solely on profit, (they scam co-workers for money by taking bets on horses that never win), they still seem to enjoy each other’s company for the short time that they are together.
The fact is that Factotum is a great movie. It offers a bleak spotlight on life, and while there is always a glimmer of hope to be found in every pathetic situation, Bukowski basically portrays how life sucks for the most part. If you are looking for a movie that offers profound hope and undeniable inspiration, look elsewhere. If you want a plot that has many twists and turns, see The Departed. If however, you are looking for a special movie that finally gives Matt Dillon the credit that he has deserved for a long, a movie that is very real and one that is incredibly captivating despite its lack of mainstream attention, it’s time for Factotum.
