Rijndri Load of rubbish!!

Noutions Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

rodrig58 Barbet Schroeder at his best! And "More" and "Single White Female" I really enjoyed. Very much. But here, the director managed to overcome himself. When I first saw it, I think it was in 1987 or 1988, I did not like it, I found it boring. I was only 29 years old. Watched again in June 2018, I rediscovered it, I see it with other eyes and another mind. A true masterpiece, a unique cinema piece. Mickey Rourke makes a role of great value. Faye Dunaway the same. Also Alice Krige who is very beautiful. All the actors are exceptional. The story is exceptional. The music is cool. Directed and filmed brilliantly. I think I've woken up, at least, after 30 years...

michaeltrivedi Barfly is an example of excellent filmmaking. Let me start by explaining the plot.The main character, Hank, is an alcoholic writer, and spends all of his days drinking at the bar, getting into fights, lounging around at home, or writing. After getting kicked out of his neighborhood bar, he met an older lady, played by Faye Dunaway, at a bar down the street. They form a relationship, and he ends up moving in with her. She has emotional problems too, and ends up getting fired from every job she has. Soon, a beautiful woman from a writing agency discovers Hank and offers him the world in exchange for his stories. Hank refuses, and goes back into the life of a bum writer. The movie ends with Hank right back where he started, fighting outside the bar he visits every single day.Now this story is very philosophical and beautiful. Hank being a writer, he can explain the pain and happiness associated with his choices in life. He can examined and analyze other characters he comes across in ways we think, but could never put in words. He is a protagonist we cannot look upto, he has nothing to offer. And yet, there's something beautiful about being down and out. Hank is definitely one of the best characters even depicted on screen, and I highly suggest you watch this movie right now. It may not be for some, or many, but it is one of my person favorites.9 Stars

Michael Neumann Love blossoms in the gutter when a shabby skid row derelict meets an alcoholic floozy in the bars of outer LA, but don't be dismayed by all the rampant sleaze: despite the vivid atmosphere of cheap booze and wasted lives this unique and unusual film represents a minor triumph of comic nonconformity. The script was written by low-life poet Charles Bukowski and is filled with all his favorite things: winos, hookers, losers, and a "wet rat in the rain", played to perfection by Mickey Roarke, who with his flabby posture and smooth beatnik whisper gives the character more humor and humanity than Bukowski may have intended. Give Roarke credit for choosing to appear in such an unflattering role, but this is no ordinary bum. He's a philosopher drunkard who listens to Mozart and Mahler when he isn't picking a fight or puking in an alley after one drink too many, a man whose total freedom from responsibility gives him the power to be completely spontaneous. Faye Dunaway isn't allowed the same depth of character, but together they help make this one of the few films for which the word skuzzy can aptly be used as a compliment.

madiuch I saw Barfly when it was first out not knowing anything about Charles Bukowski. After reading Bukowski and watching him recite some of his work on You-Tube, I gained a renewed appreciation for Mickey's portrayal of Bukowski. He talks like him, acts like him and demonstrates the values of Bukowski. Maybe his best role ever. A truly artful movie - you can almost smell the bar smell - and Bukowski. You can feel the view Bukowski has for the world around him. I'm glad he was able to achieve some of the notoriety in his life before he passed in 1994. This movie is a glimpse into the lifestyle of bar-life and of a man who lived in, knew well and wrote about the underbelly of that life. I can't think of anyone else who could have done a better job than Mickey. Mat Dillon tried in Factotem but he's too pretty to be Bukowski.