7tavern: Barton Fink

Barton Fink

Sound (2)
3.3
Plot (2)
3.3
Cast (2)
3.3
Special Effects (2)
3.3
Length & Pace (2)
3.3
Cinematography (2)
3.3

Directors:Joel Coen,more

Writers:Joel Coen (written by) &,Ethan Coen (written by),

Release:21 August 1991 (USA)

Tagline:

Plot:

Cast:John Turturro - Barton Fink,   John Goodman - Charlie Meadows,   Judy Davis - Audrey Taylor,   Michael Lerner - Jack Lipnick,   John Mahoney - W.P. Mayhew,   Tony Shalhoub - Ben Geisler,   Jon Polito - Lou Breeze,   Steve Buscemi - Chet,   David Warrilow - Garland Stanford,   Richard Portnow - Detective Mastrionotti,   Christopher Murney - Detective Deutsch,   I.M. Hobson - Derek,   Meagen Fay - Poppy Carnahan (as Megan Faye),   Lance Davis - Richard St. Claire,   Harry Bugin - Pete

Runtime:

Country:

Language:

Company:

Links: IMDb Profile

Categories: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Main

Trailer

Squish
Reviews: 740
Points: 0 (Level 1)
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2.5

Barton Fink (1991) * Hidden Gem *

What joyous, cheery moments they share, the feel good movie of the year!

Genre: Period Drama (USA, UK)

Starring: John Turturro (The Big Lebowski; O Brother, Where Art Thou?), John Goodman ("Roseanne"; Storytelling)

Directed By: Joel Coen (Fargo; Miller's Crossing)

Overview: A playwright takes a job in Hollywood. What should be a simple assignment writing a wrestling picture turns into a complex realization about himself and the Hollywood world around him.

Performance:

The Coen brothers are quirky, there's no doubt about that. When casting especially gitchy-looking everymen like John Turturro and Steve Buscemi, you know that alone adds a feel all its own to a film. Mix in Coen film staples like John Goodman and you've got yourself a recipe for good times of whacked out characters.
Rating: 9

Cinematography:

DoP Roger Deakins is no stranger to the Coen brothers. His work can be seen in ten of their eighteen films including such epics for the eye as The Hudsucker Proxy and quirky oddities like Fargo. When the hotel room our character is staying in has a life of it's own, that's a good thing. From leaking wallpaper off sweating walls to a little picture of a woman on a beach, we have a visual style common for the Coens, combined with a strong streak of the dark tan 30s colour scheme found in Naked Lunch.
Rating: 9

Script:

I run this dump, and I don't know the technical mumbo-jumbo. Why do I run it? Cause I got horse sense goddamit, SHOWMANSHIP! And also I hope Lou told you this, I am bigger and meaner and louder than any other kike in this town. Did you tell him that Lou? And I don't mean my dick is bigger than yours, it's not a sexual thing. You're a writer, you know more about that. Coffee? - Jack Lipnick

Ripe with character building monologues, the only other thing that can top this theatrical style of the spoken word is the quick-witted gang-ups. When there's a scene where a couple of people team up against Barton, it's gold. Whether it's two cops asking him routine questions or a producer and his assistant digging into him, the Coen brothers have long ago proved they can write odd comedies that are both so relevant and so stingingly funny at the same time.
Rating: 9

Plot:

Barton Fink is a playwright for the everyman, championing the fishmongers and other 'simple folk', and with success comes an offer to write for Hollywood. He reluctantly accepts, but rather than staying in a posh hotel or a king-sized guesthouse, he chooses a common frugal hotel as he writes his first assignment, a B-Grade wrestling picture. Writer's block quickly sets in, leaving Barton plenty of time to contemplate. His adventures take him through the ins and outs of Hollywood's fat cats and L.A.'s average Joes alike, allowing him to be overwhelmed with life lessons about the industry and himself.
When asked what this is about I tell people simply, 'this is a coming of age story for a man, but more than that, it's a coming of the soul'.
Rating: 9

Mood:

As tales go, Barton Fink is first and foremost about the characters. They're out there, they're unique and they're all worthy of exploration. Add the 30s period piece feel and you get a mildly decadent, mildly foreign, mildly ethereal film. Moments that often focus on the stillness around him, whether peaceful, contemplative or horrific, these are the things that set this picture apart from the others. Barton Fink takes its time to let it all sink in before moving on.
Rating: 8

Above the scenes, in a wee little terlet

Overall Rating: 88% (Let it Show You 'The Life Of The Mind')

Aftertaste:
So here I am just about to check this off the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list and what the Hell do I see but that the film is not there on the list.

Raising Arizona (einh), Fargo (at LEAST), and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (hated it... both times) are the only Coen films on it. Yeah, no Hudsucker, no Lebowski. Sometimes I really, really wonder what hat these guys pulled this list out of. One more for the disillusion bucket.

Don't worry kids, one day, I'll make my own 1001 list, you'll see!

Recommendations: Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009), Requiem for a Dream, Dawn of the Dead

2010-07-28 10:27:00

Tolll
Reviews: 101
Points: 0 (Level 1)
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Barton Fink — 8

This is a Coen brothers film. For those of you who are not familiar with the Coen brothers, I believe you just do not know who they are. The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, O Brother Where Art Thou, Fargo, etc. the list goes on. I love the style of filmaking that they do, and a while ago I picked up a few of their movies to check out some of there not-so-well-known work. And this one was really not that great… until the ending. Which is not a common thing with the Coen brothers, but it does happen on occasion.

Basically this was the story of a writer. A writer on broadway, who made a really damned good show, and then hollywood bought him via a contract and he moved to LA. He wanted to stay in a cheap hotel because he didn’t actually want the hollywood feel. Fair enough so far. But the second he gets there and hears of his assignment, he immediately gets writers block.

Seriously, the first half of the movie is hard to watch because its sooooo slow. but once you hit a little past the halfway mark, your sucked in. I was actually shocked at what happened and had to find out what happened. But it was AWESOME!

Now the only thing that really nagged at me, other than the fact that the movie was slow for the first half, was that most of the actors seemed misplaced. Like there should have been someone else playing a lot of the roles, but not the ones they choose. The main character is played by John Tutturro, the bellhop was played by Steve Buscemi, who does nothing strange in this movie at all. I honestly thought I was in the wrong place because the actors seemed misroled (wordage?).

But the ending, oh god the ending was fantastic! I could not have seen a better ending for it then what the Coen brothers choose. I was honestly at the very end of my seat jaw dropped and eyes wide open, not blinking, waiting to see it all go down!
Another fantastic thing about the Coen brothers and this film, is that there are some things that the Coen brothers never reveal to you, like how the event in the middle of the movie actually happens, or even why it does. And then there’s one other thing i will leave alone because its still bothering me. I think I figured it out, but its never that simple, so I know that its wrong.
All in all if you can sit through an hour of boredom, its well worth the payoff. It does that some patience though. So sit back and enjoy, but don’t fall asleep and have to pick it up later like i did.

Base Score = 6
+1 for Coen Brothers
-1 for massivly slow beginning
+1 for a shock in the middle
-1 for actors being misroled
+1 for a good ending
+1 for not knowing what happens to a few things and leaving it up to you to figure out.
= 8/10

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Last updated: 2010-01-12 01:41:43 by Tolll

2010-01-01 08:51:44

Squish
Reviews: 740
Points: 0 (Level 1)
Reviewer

Barton Fink (1991) * Hidden Gem *

What joyous, cheery moments they share, the feel good movie of the year! Genre: Period Drama (USA, UK) Starring: John Turturro ( The Big Lebowski ; O Brother, Where Art Thou?), John Goodman ("Roseanne"; Storytelling) Directed By: Joel Coen (Fargo; Miller's Crossing ) Overview: A playwright takes a job in Hollywood. What should be a simple assignment writing a wrestling picture turns into a complex realization about himself and the Hollywood world around him. Performance: The Coen brothers are quirky, there's no doubt about that. When casting especially gitchy-looking everymen like John Turturro and Steve Buscemi, you know that alone adds a feel all its own to a film. Mix in Coen film staples like John Goodman and you've got yourself a recipe for good times of whacked out characters. Rating: 9 Cinematography: DoP Roger Deakins is no stranger to the Coen brothers. His work can be seen in ten of their eighteen films including such epics for the eye as The...

(Read More...)

2010-07-28 10:27:00

Tolll
Reviews: 101
Points: 0 (Level 1)
Reviewer

Barton Fink — 8

(Read More...)

2010-01-01 08:51:44

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