Movie

Factotum

2005 · 94 min

A wry, drifting study of a man who treats life as a series of interruptions to his writing, told with deadpan humour and a melancholic, boozy haze.

Tagline: What matters most is how well you walk through the fire
Overview: This drama centers on Hank Chinaski, the fictional alter-ego of "Factotum" author Charles Bukowski, who wanders around Los Angeles, CA trying to live off jobs which don't interfere with his primary interest, which is writing. Along the way, he fends off the distractions offered by women, drinking and gambling.

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How it feels

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Tone: melancholicstrength 2 of 3
cynicalstrength 2 of 3
darkstrength 2 of 3
satiricalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: isolation
addiction
work
art
freedom
Places: big city
workplace
road trip
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: nonlinear
Content intensity: Gore none
Language strong
Violence mild
Sex strong

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	2
Horror	1
Humour	4
Realism	8
Romance	3
Tension	3
Darkness	6
Complexity	5
Emotional weight	6

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Details

Genres: drama
Directed by: Bent Hamer
Written by: Bent Hamer, Jim Stark
Starring: Matt Dillon, Lili Taylor, Marisa Tomei, Fisher Stevens, Didier Flamand, Adrienne Shelly, Karen Young, Thomas Lyons
Music: Kristin Asbjørnsen
Cinematography: John Christian Rosenlund
Runtime: 94 min
Country: Norway, Germany, United States of America
Languages: English

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Factotum

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