
Barfly
1987, Comedy/Drama, 1h 40m
22 Reviews 5,000+ RatingsYou might also like
Barfly Photos
Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Henry Chinaski
Wanda Wilcox
Tully Sorenson
Detective
Jim
Eddie
News & Interviews for Barfly
Critic Reviews for Barfly
All Critics (22) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (17) | Rotten (5)
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Both characters are the kind of people who want to be left alone. That`s what you may feel like after you spend a few minutes with them.
August 23, 2017 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review… -
The first four letters say it all.
March 23, 2010 | Full Review… -
The result is a truly original American movie, a film like no other, a period of time spent in the company of the kinds of characters Saroyan and O'Neill would have understood.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review… -
Both Rourke and Dunaway are cinematic dynamite here.
September 2, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0 | Full Review… -
Mickey Rourke's controlled histrionic performance and Faye Dunaway's intelligent unaffected behavior alone make the movie worth seeing. [Full Review in Spanish]
April 17, 2020 | Full Review… -
[What's] exciting about this raucously funny, offbeat salute to booze as a lifetime vocation is Mickey Rourke as its central soak Henry, a part closely modeled on poet-novelist Charles Bukowski.
November 4, 2019 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Barfly
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Jul 22, 2018The film practically reeks of booze and hopelessness. What I like most here is that both Schroeder and Bukowski understand that dive bars and their patrons are as American as apple pie.Alec B Super Reviewer
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Nov 21, 2009A brilliant film with what I believe to be Mickey Roarke's finest piece of work as an actor. The film was written by poet-author Charles Bukowski, and Roarke's character is based on Bukowski himself. Henry(Roarke) spends most of his time at the bar, getting into the occasional fistfight with the bartender Eddie which is so well portrayed by Frank Stallone, and gets involved with a haggard alcoholic portrayed by Faye Dunaway. Henry puts all the money he wins from his streetfights into his drink of choice, scotch and water, and occasionally buys one for the house, "To all my friends!" There's really not much going on with the story itself, but this film is simply entertaining, and manages to keep some humor in it's dim premise. Simplicity is usually better, and this film is a good example of what can be done when the right group of artists are put together.Eric S Super Reviewer
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Aug 19, 2009Unique and outstanding. Shame it's not available on DVD now.Morris N Super Reviewer
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Jan 12, 2009This is how American cinema should be...openly dense and fearlessly howling to all contenders,bouts from every corner of this world.It's a terrible newsreel,Bukowski on the screenplay of a Schroeder film,pessimistic,as far as the jackals can move...Rourke in an electrifying performance.I gotta get a drink...Dimitris S Super Reviewer
Barfly Quotes
Henry Chinaski: | Your mother's cunt stinks like carpet cleaner. |
Henry Chinaski: | Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead. |
Henry Chinaski: | Don't worry, nobody's loved me yet. |
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