GO WEST, YOUNG MAN..., September 21, 2003

By	Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews

The film centers around a slightly pompous, idealistic, left wing playwright, Barton Fink (John Turturro), who in 1941, after becoming the toast of Broadway as the pretentious voice of the common man, goes west to Hollywood at the invitation of a major studio in order to try his hand at writing screenplays.

There, he meets studio head, Jack Lipnick (Michael Lerner), and his yes man and whipping boy, Lou Breeze (Jon Polito). Asked to write a screenplay for a Wallace Beery vehicle about wrestling, a subject about which the bookish Fink knows nothing about, causes Fink to go into a professional tailspin.

Ensconced in a decaying old hotel, seemingly run by its slightly creepy and unctuous bell hop, Chet (Steve Buscemi), who bizarrely appears on the scene out of a trapdoor behind the hotel's front desk, Fink begins his ordeal . The elevator is run by a cadaverous, pock marked, elderly man. The corridors of the hotel seem endless. The wallpaper in Fink's room is peeling away from the wall, leaving a viscous, damp ooze in its wake. His bed creaks and groans with a life of its own. It is also hot, oppressively hot.

No residents of the hotel are apparent, except for the appearance of shoes outside the doors in expectation of the free shoe shine the hotel offers its denizens and for the noise made by his neighbors. Finks meets one of his neighbors, the portly Charlie Meadows (John Goodman), a gregarious Everyman, possessed of an abundance of bonhomie. A self-styled insurance salesman, Charlie cajoles Fink out of his shell, befriending him in the process. Little does Fink know that beneath Charlie's congenial exterior lies a horrific secret that will spillover onto him in the not so distant future.

At a luncheon with studio under boss, Ben Geisler (Tony Shalhoub), Fink meets a famous writer that he reveres, W. P. Mayhew (John Mahoney), a southern sot so steeped in drink that his companion/secretary, Audrey Taylor (Judy Davis), has to do his writing for him. Fink falls for Audrey but finds his overtures rebuffed. Still, she is willing to try and help him overcome his profound writer's block. In a classic Coen twist, it is this single act of kindness that acts as the catalyst for the nightmare that makes Fink's life become a living hell on earth. He goes from living a life of self-imposed isolation and angst to one that appears to have been created by a Hollywood hack, filled as it is with the most incredible situations, a real studio head's dream.

John Turturro is terrific as the introverted, tightly wound, pretentious, and neurotic Fink, who in Hollywood, away from the womb of the Great White Way, is like a lamb led to the slaughter. With his sculpted afro, horn rimmed glasses, nerdy clothes, Fink is the stereotypic Hollywood notion of the commie writer. John Turturro makes the role his with a purposeful intensity.

John Goodman is sensational as the garrulous Charlie Meadow, the epitome of the working class man about whom Fink likes to write. Unfortunately, all is not as it seems, as Charlie has a dark side to him, a very dark side. John Mahoney is excellent as the Faulknerian-like writer, and Judy Davis outdoes herself, as the self-sacrificing Audrey Taylor.

Michael Lerner will razzle-dazzle the viewer with his over the top portrayal of a fast talking studio head who is willing to pay big bucks for the cache of having a top Broadway playwright turn out screenplay swill for the masses. Jon Polito is very good as the Uriah Heepish, quintessential yes man he portrays. Tony Shalhoub is excellent in his role, underscoring the absurdity of the old Hollywood studio system.

Steve Buscemi, looking surprisingly small in his bell hop uniform, resembles an organ grinder's monkey, at times. The viewer may also expect him to bellow, "Call for Phillip Morris", as in the old cigarette campaign, though he speaks in a controlled, respectful monotone, at all times. Still, his very presence adds a slightly sinister quality to the film, though he does nothing remotely sinister, other than the way he makes his screen appearance. His entrance onto the screen in this fashion foreshadows what is to come.

This film is not for everyone, as it does not have a neatly wrapped ending. Instead, it goes beyond the standard expected ending into an absurdist foray. Still, those who love films by the Coen Brothers will not be disappointed by this satiric look at Hollywood. It is little wonder that this film became the darling of the Cannes Film Festival.

A writer's life under the studio system, 1941, May 11, 2003

By	Dennis Littrell (SoCal) - See all my reviews

This won some international awards and was nominated for Oscars for Art/Set Decoration, Costume Design, and Best Supporting Actor (Michael Lerner), all nominations well-deserved. It is a fine period piece movie, a little slow in spots, but original and ultimately engaging.

Barton Fink, played with fidelity and deep concentration by John Turturro, is an idealistic New York playwright experiencing his first success. He is called to Hollywood to write screenplays under the old studio system. Lerner, in a burlesque performance that is strikingly and hilariously over the top (you've got to love the shot of him in open robe and bathing trunks by the pool, his ample, hairy belly vividly displayed, perhaps as a symbol of a devouring cauldron), plays the movie mogul who instructs Fink to write the script for a "B" wrestling picture starring Wallace Beery. This is a kind of Coen and Coen joke, part of the satirical intent of the movie since what Wallace Beery did star in were boxing pictures. Same difference, one might say. (Actually, Beery did star in at least one wrestling movie, Flesh (1932), I discovered by checking at IMDb.)

Anyway, Fink of course knows nothing about wrestling, and finding himself in an old Los Angeles hotel (where one may stay a day, or ominously, a lifetime), begins to unravel since he can't get beyond the first couple of lines of the screenplay. We are treated to closeups of all that white space on the paper as it sits rolled up in the old manual typewriter. The satirical idea here is to measure the great gulf between literary art and writing film scripts for a mass audience, an audience further dumbed down by the expectations of studio execs.

Next door to Fink is Charlie Meadows (John Goodman) ostensibly a life insurance salesman. Goodman works hard to portray a monstrous (in more ways than one) sort of guy. He huffs and puffs his way into friendship with Fink, showing him a wrestling move or two. At this point it is impossible to tell where the movie is headed. Are they going to become more than friends? Enter Judy Davis as Audrey Taylor the "secretary" of an alcoholic novelist working in the "Writer's Building" at the studio (reminding me of a similar set from Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard). Fink gets an undisguised yen for her and manages to get her to help him with his script. And then comes a characteristic Coen and Coen twist, and all heck breaks loose.

Memorable in a small role as the desk clerk and bellhop is Steve Buscemi who is first revealed to us coming enigmatically out of the hotel's cellar where God only knows what he was doing.

They loved this at Cannes because just about every aspect of the Hollywood industry is made fun of, except the actors, who interestingly enough, make nary an appearance. Clever those Coen brothers.

This is a dark, nasty but somewhat redemptive writer's movie, an art film about Hollywood that afficionados will not want to miss.

"BECAUSE YOU DON'T LISTEN!!!" (4.5 stars), June 19, 2003

By	Michael Crane (Orland Park, IL USA) - See all my reviews

The movie focuses around a writer by the name of Barton Fink. He has just finished a play that is getting rave reviews from the critics, but he isn't as impressed with the overall product. He goes to Hollywood when he receives a job offer, but it's an offer unlike any he has taken before. His job is to write a wrestling picture, something that Fink knows very little about. When he gets to the very unimpressive hotel to begin writing the script, he is only able to write a sentence or two... and then he goes blank. He has no idea how the script should go and it's driving him nuts, as he is a perfectionist. His lively and loud neighbor, Charlie, takes a liking to him and offers his friendship and advice. But as Fink tries harder and harder to focus on the script, his life slowly starts to spin out of control and leads him to an unspeakable predicament.

As I said before, this is a very, VERY strange movie. It's strange because it's so subtle and it disguises itself as something so innocent and harmless until you see the plot come full-circle. The Coen Brothers always know how to keep us on our toes when it comes to movies, and they prove that fact clearly in "Barton Fink." Some may be confused by the third act. I admit that I don't even know if I completely get it. I think I have an idea, but that's all it is, an idea. Does that mean that I didn't like the movie? Of course not! In fact, it made me like it more because I kept thinking about it over and over again. I'm even thinking about it right now, hoping I can put all the pieces together.

The acting was fantastic, as usual. John Turturro gives it his all in the lead role. It is clear that he was the right person for the job. John Goodman is also very great and hilarious, and you even get to see some of his dark side. What it all comes down to is that everybody did their roles justice. There are a lot of crazy and interesting characters that Fink encounters during the film that are really worth getting to know. The film was very well-directed and well-written.

As with "Miller's Crossing," this DVD doesn't have very much to offer. The picture and sound quality is pretty good, so I see no problems there. The extras included on the DVD are trailers, deleted scenes, and a still gallery. This is the perfect movie for an audio commentary, especially to listen to when you get to the remaining moments of the film. But alas, one is not included. It is a shame, because I really think it would've given the DVD that extra punch that it needed. Well, at least there are some extras and the trailers are pretty funny. (I do agree with the one reviewer who said that they chose a bad spot of the film to incorporate into the menu screen.) I'd recommend staying away from the "Barton Fink" trailer and save that for afterwards. It doesn't give away a whole lot, but it does give away some key moments.

I don't think "Barton Fink" is the Coen Brothers' greatest achievement, but it is definitely an enjoyable and entertaining film. It leaves you thinking after it's all said and done. And the dark and very subtle humor is always a joy to experience. This is another one that's not for everybody, but if you feel brave to experience something new and daring, why not give "Barton Fink" a shot? I'm very happy that it is now a part of my DVD library and it is one I can definitely see myself watching again sometime soon.