Review of Barfly (1987) by Dave S — 21 Dec 2008

Take what comes to mind when I say "gritty dramedy about alcoholics", and make it bigger - the supporting cast plays like extras from the "Magic Bullet" infomercial and it seems like some set decorator's job was to literally smear dirt on the walls.

But just because it's unsubtle doesn't mean it isn't compelling, it just tries a bit too hard in its apparent quest for social relevance. Plays kind of like a scummy update of some old "Playhouse 90" drama, which isn't really a bad thing.