Movie 31: Barton Fink

Barton Fink is a New York playwright who’s latest play is the toast of Broadway. He’s tapped to write pictures and heads out to Hollywood. Given the task of writing a wrastlin movie, Barton finds himself blocked and hopes for inspiration from a fellow writer. Completely missing the fact that his neighbour in the hotel he’s staying in would be perfect inspiration

That’s sort of the plot. To be honest its not the clearest movie I’ve ever seen. It’s also very sweaty. The people are sweaty and the hotel walls literally sweat their paper.

I didn’t really think that much of it. I like the Coen brothers generally but Fink just didn’t gel together for me. It has its moments sure, Charlie (the neighbour, played by John Goodman) is by far the standout, but it all felt a bit lacklustre.

That’s not really fitting as there’s plenty of luster. All of the Hollywood types talk in the “Fast Talking High Trousers” style, if you remember that sketch from the fast show. I think that’s mainly to highlight Fink as being a fish out of water. He seems rather staid and lacking in passion, full of the usual crap that literary types spout when they talk about writing about the common man. But he’s very passionate when talking about his subject and opens up a fair bit in the middle, so there’s some inconsistency there.

Honestly I’m not sure what to write about it. Which is ironic as I’m blocked writing about a movie about a guy who’s blocked. It’s very weird, some characters don’t feel all that developed, and it never really seems to go anywhere (although there is a plot, it’s just a sudden plot. Like they suddenly realised they’d better do one). The standout scenes are those with Charlie and those with the detectives. Half the rest could have been dropped, or at least replaced, as far as I’m concerned and it might have made a better movie.

Regardless of what the critics thought. I ain’t no critic.

Next up: Kill Switch