Review of Barton Fink (1991) by Claire L — 03 May 2010

Barton Fink is not an easy film to absorb, and it's not everyone's cup of tea. Next to more accessible Coen creations - The Big Lebowski, Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou - it often gets nudged aside as a pretentious and messy piece of arthouse. But the fact is that it's the Coens' tightest film, and in almost every way their best - definitely their most personal.

Barton Fink may well be the Coens' best character because he represents their own personalities, and Turturro is a perfect fit, making it easy to see why he became one of their favorite actors in years to come; for both him and John Goodman (who was still making it at the time as lovable redneck Dan Conner!), this film represents the performance of a lifetime.

And for the Coens, who up to that point honed their skill at atmosphere, cinmatography and pacing, it represents an artistic breakthrough, one that will lead the way to every movie they make in the future. A must see.