Review of Barfly (1987) by Joel P — 18 Apr 2009

Honestly, when you see Mickey Rourke in this gem you can see what all the fuss was about. He is amazing as Charles Bukowski. Faye Dunaway is almost as good by, at that stage in her career, playing against type and going for a slovenly drunkard persona instead of a perhaps safer role as a Hollywodd beauty.

Rourke is, at turns, hilarious, pathetic, disgusting, sensitive, sweet, grotesque and ultimately magnetic as the L.A. drunkard-poet who is 'discovered'. Watch this with 'Diner' before you see 'The Wrestler' in order to get a real sense of the dimension of this man's acting ability.

I just hope he stays on track now that he's come back into the limelight again.