Factotum (2005)

Director:

Bent Hamer

Writers:

Charles Bukowski (novel)
Bent Hamer (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 April 2005 (Norway)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

What matters most is how well you walk through the fire.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Writer | Writing | Gambling | Drinking | Money

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Matt Dillon	...	Hank Chinaski
Lili Taylor	...	Jan
Didier Flamand	...	Pierre
Fisher Stevens	...	Manny
Marisa Tomei	...	Laura
Adrienne Shelly	...	Jerry
Karen Young	...	Grace
Thomas Lyons	...	Tony Endicott (as Tom Lyons)
Dean Brewington	...	Old Black Man
James Cada	...	Bald Man
James Michael Detmar	...	Smithson
Kurt Schweickhardt	...	Ice Plant Supervisor
Dee Noah	...	Hank's Mother
James Noah	...	Hank's Father
Michael Egan	...	Taxi Office Clerk
Terry Hempleman	...	Superintendant Barnes
Emily Hynnek	...	Stripper (as Emily 'Sophia Simone' Hynnek)
Wayne Morton	...	Mantz
Tony Papenfuss	...	John Handler
Lana Schwab	...	Mrs. Adams
Sally Wingert	...	Payroll Lady
Robert Downing Davis	...	George Henley
Bryan J. Walker	...	Pharmacist
Dan Lee Jr.	...	Elf
Peter Moore	...	Editor
Bruce Bohne	...	Auto Parts Manager
Larry Roupe	...	Pete
Chris Carlson	...	Liquor Store Clerk
Stephen D'Ambrose	...	Mailman
Emil Herrera	...	Mendoza
Michelle Hutchison	...	Young Lady
Andy Hubbell	...	Employment Office Man
Martin Marinaro	...	Bartender
Raye Birk	...	Heathercliff
Stephen Pelinski	...	Mr. Hansen
Stanley Kipper	...	Spencer
Brent Doyle	...	McBride
John Paul Gamoke	...	Peters
Jim Lichtscheidl	...	Calloway (as James Lichtscheidl)
Jay Gjernes	...	Truck Driver
Clyde Lund	...	Employment Office Clerk
Debbie DeLisi	...	Bartender
George McGuire	...	Carson Gentry
Brad Madson	...	Tailor
Gary Tournier	...	Bar Patron
Esera Tuaolo	...	Laura's Bar Bartender
John Nadeau	...	Sleeping Man
Cathi Cooper	...	Bar Patron
Carole Samuelson	...	Bar Patron
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Matthew Feeney	...	Harry Berglund (scenes deleted)
Stephanie Allensworth	...	Woman on the Street / Patron at the Racetrack (uncredited)
Jim Brockhohn	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Jimmy Brockhohn	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Clint Clark	...	Horse Race Fan (uncredited)
Joseph Courtemanche	...	Bouncer in Bar Scene (uncredited)
Frank Crandell	...	Man Drinking Beer Next To Ms. Tomei (uncredited)
Christopher Day	...	2nd Man Placing Bet (uncredited)
Chuck Erickson	...	Man In Bar (uncredited)
Jon Foss	...	Horse Race Spectator (uncredited)
Diane Kelson	...	Woman on Fire Escape (uncredited)
Bryan Kosluchar	...	Horse Race Gambler (uncredited)
Punnavith Koy	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Nels Lennes	...	Man Going to Work (uncredited)
Shawn McNulty	...	Bike Shop Worker (uncredited)
Doua Moua	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Lisa Pechmiller	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Geoff Schilz	...	Man Placing Bet (uncredited)
Christina Sedlacek	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Annie Wallick	...	Woman on Street (uncredited)
Donny West	...	Taxi Class Student (uncredited)
Jim Westcott	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Bent Hamer

Writing credits
Charles Bukowski		(novel)
Bent Hamer		(written by) and
Jim Stark		(written by)

Produced by
Karl Baumgartner	....	associate producer
Reinhold Elschot	....	associate producer
Bent Hamer	....	producer
Rainer Mockert	....	associate producer
Peter Nadermann	....	associate producer
Jim Stark	....	producer
Christine K. Walker	....	executive producer (as Christine Kunewa Walker)
Meinolf Zurhorst	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Kristin Asbjørnsen

Cinematography by
John Christian Rosenlund		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Pål Gengenbach

Production Design by
Eve Cauley		(as Eve Cauley Turner)

Set Decoration by
Sarah Kruchowski		(as Sarah Jean Kruckowski)
Kate Sheeley

Costume Design by
Tere Duncan

Makeup Department
Natalie A. Hale	....	additional makeup artist (as Natalie Hale)
Sherry Heart	....	key hair stylist
Patricia Regan	....	makeup designer
Tara Smith	....	hair stylist: Marisa Tomei

Production Management
Devorah DeVries	....	production manager
Jason Cooper Hall	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jason Cooper Hall	....	second assistant director: dayplayer
Matt Holz	....	second second assistant director
Eric D. Howell	....	second assistant director (as Eric Howell)
Paul B. Johnson	....	first assistant director
Atsuko Sato	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Cheri Anderson	....	set dresser
Paul Berglund	....	assistant property master
Jennie Bond	....	graphic designer
Kelsey Cramer	....	production assistant: props
Mindy Harris	....	property master
Oceana Lawler Larsen	....	set dresser
Evan Morris	....	construction foreman
Savannah Rhomberg-Reich	....	head painter
Paul Rothmeier	....	carpenter
Andrew Shea	....	draftsperson
Mark S. Turner	....	art department associate (as Mark Steven Turner)
David Underhill	....	lead person (as Dave Underhill)

Sound Department
Ken Chastain	....	sound recordist
Petter Fladeby	....	sound designer
Petter Fladeby	....	sound re-recording mixer
Cully Gallagher	....	boom operator
Micki Joanni	....	synchron editor
Christopher Riley	....	production assistant: sound department
John Sims	....	production sound mixer (as John L. Sims Jr.)
John Sims	....	sound recordist (as John L. Sims Jr.)
Richard Sveen	....	sound editor
Erik S. Watland	....	foley artist
Kevin Wilson	....	adr

Visual Effects by
Torgeir Busch	....	visual effects
Aksel Jermstad	....	visual effects artist

Stunts
Rose M. Frazier	....	stunts
Eric D. Howell	....	stunt coordinator (as Eric Howell)
Peter Moore	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Tristan Allen	....	camera production assistant: video
Sebastián Almeida	....	first assistant camera
Ray Attridge	....	electrician
Eddie Cohen	....	lighting technician
Edward Cohen	....	gaffer (as Eddie Cohen)
Joseph Gallup	....	key grip
Fernando Gayesky	....	camera operator
Fernando Gayesky	....	director of photography: second unit
Tony Hanson	....	grip
Mark Higashino	....	still photographer
Travis Hottinger	....	electrician
Marty Jurek	....	camera production assistant (as Martin Jurek)
Kevin Karpinski	....	best boy grip
Yoshiji D. Katagiri	....	electrician
Damian Kussian	....	grip
Michael Lindquist	....	second assistant camera (as Michael V. Lindquist)
Chris Malone	....	best boy electric
Lucas McCarter	....	grip
David S. Pope	....	dolly grip (as David Pope)
Shannon Schaefer	....	grip
Randall Smith	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Michael Winn	....	electrician
Dean Woytcke	....	grip

Casting Department
Lynn Blumenthal	....	casting director: Minneapolis
Marisa Collins	....	extras casting assistant
Debbie DeLisi	....	extras casting
Carolyn Deters	....	extras casting intern
Matthew Feeney	....	extras casting associate
Kaari Moen	....	extras casting intern
Amber Lee Olivier	....	extras casting assistant (as Amber Lee Olson)
Jay Runquist	....	extras casting intern
Lisa Stearns	....	extras casting intern

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Deborah Fiscus	....	wardrobe supervisor
Amy Pickering	....	costume design assistant: New York City
Hannah Walker	....	wardrobe assistant
Hannah Walter	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Liv Risvaag	....	colorist
Camilla Holst Vea	....	film scanning
Darren Roark	....	digital color corrector (uncredited)

Music Department
Jostein Ansnes	....	music mixer
Jostein Ansnes	....	music recordist
Trygve Brøske	....	composer: organ music
Thomas Henriksen	....	music recordist
Magnus Torkildsen	....	music mixer
Magnus Torkildsen	....	music recordist
Peer Espen Ursfjord	....	music recordist

Transportation Department
Michael Kennedy	....	transportation captain (as Mike Kennedy)
Brenton McCracken	....	transportation coordinator
Rajiv Sarin	....	driver
Leo Skudlarek	....	driver

Other crew
Shelli Ainsworth	....	location manager
Topper Anton	....	set production assistant
Robert Becka	....	production intern
Megan Alicia Brown	....	extras assistant (as Megan Brown)
Andrew Burton	....	key set production assistant
Torgeir Busch	....	title designer
Joe Dressel	....	production intern
Jesse Ehman	....	production assistant
Jon Foss	....	production intern
Robin Garland	....	location coordinator
Kurt W. Gensmer	....	set medic
Molly Getty	....	assistant to producers
Arzu Gokcen	....	assistant: Matt Dillon
Graham Gremore	....	clearance coordinator
Mike Griesser	....	production intern
David Hansen	....	assistant: Matt Dillon (as Dave Hansen)
Mark Har	....	location scout
Christianne Hedtke	....	production assistant
Aksel Jermstad	....	title designer
Lars Johanessen	....	title designer: end credits
Todd B. Johnson	....	production office intern
Vanessa Miles	....	production assistant
Mary Moga	....	production secretary (as Mary Louise Moga)
Jamie Molever	....	assistant: Ms. Tomei
Thomas G. Page	....	assistant production coordinator
Aaron Pikala	....	production office assistant
Laurie Pyle	....	set medic
Darren Roark	....	computer and technical support
Stephen Root	....	production intern
Ben Rosenbaum	....	assistant: Lilli Taylor
Benjamin Rosenbaum	....	assistant: Lilli Taylor (as Benjamin Rosenbaum)
Jason P. Schumacher	....	strike crew
Seth Shapiro	....	set production assistant
Lisa Stearns	....	production intern
Bridget Striker	....	production intern
Jill Sweiven	....	product placement
Jill Sweiven	....	public relations
Julie Swenson	....	set publicist
Dylan Thies	....	production intern
Joel Thingvall	....	location consultant
C. Elizabeth Trumble	....	production accountant
Sidney Walker	....	location assistant
Lynn Younglove	....	script supervisor
Rachel Grubb	....	stand-in: Lily (uncredited)

Thanks
Linda Saetre	....	thanks
Ruth Waldburger	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Bulbul Films (co-production)
• Canal+ (presented in association with)
• Celluloid Dreams (presented in association with)
• Factotum
• Factotum
• MBP (Germany) (presented in association with)
• Mikado Film (presented in association with)
• Network Movie Film-und Fernsehproduktion (presented in association with)
• Norsk Filmfond (presented in association with)
• Norsk Filmstudio (presented in association with)
• Norwegian Film Institute (presented in association with)
• Pandora Filmproduktion (presented in association with)
• SF Norge A/S (presented in association with)
• StarkSales Inc. (co-production)
• ZDF/Arte (presented in association with)

Distributors

• Alliance Atlantis Communications (200?) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2005-2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• ID Distribution (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Longride (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Picturehouse Entertainment (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Al!ve AG (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2007) (Canada) (DVD)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2009) (UK) (TV) (BBC2)
• Canvas (2009) (Belgium) (TV)
• Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Icon Film Distribution (2005) (UK) (all media)
• Video Audio Project (VAP) (2008) (Japan) (DVD)

Other Companies

• ARRI / Camera Service Center  camera provided by (as Arri Rental/CSC, New York)
• Barracuda  music mixed at
• Barracuda  music recorded at
• Cinequipt  grip and electric equipment
• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  negative processing
• Digital Film Lab  ARRI laser film recording (as Digital Filmlab, Copenhagen)
• Drylab  digital intermediate
• Du Art Film and Video  adr (as DuArt Film & Video, New York)
• Gamma & Density  on-set color correction (as Gamma and Density's 3CP system)
• Nidaros Studio  music recorded at
• Norsk Filmstudio  post-production facilities
• Norsk Filmstudio  sound design
• Props On Wheels  picture vehicles/insert vehicle driver
• Rainbow Studio  music recorded at (as Rainbow Studio, Oslo)
• Rescue Resources  set medics (uncredited)
• Soundtrack  trailer
• Technicolor Creative Services  video film dailies
• øra Studio  music mixed at
• øra Studio  music recorded at

Also Known As:

"Factotum: A Man Who Performs Many Jobs" - USA (long title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Norway | USA | Germany | France | Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Norway:15 | Finland:K-15 | USA:R | UK:15 | Ireland:16 | Brazil:16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:12 | Singapore:M18 | Netherlands:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | USA:R (MPAA rating) | Australia:M | New Zealand:R16 | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Company:

Bulbul Films

Trivia:

Sean Penn was the first choice for the role of Henry Chinaski.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Despite being set in Los Angeles, the Minneapolis location is given away by the name of the racetrack: Canterbury Park.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ice Plant Supervisor:Chinaski! Hey! Chinaski, come on out here! You got a drivers license, don't you?
Henry Chinaski:Yeah.
Ice Plant Supervisor:I got a driver out sick today. We got some rush orders we need to get out right away. I need you to make these deliveries.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert: Episode dated 2 September 2006" (2006)

Soundtrack:

I Wish to Weep

A master class in getting fired!

The leading figure in Factotum (which means a jack of all trades) is Henry Chinaski. The movie, written and directed by Bent Hamer, a Norwegian, is based on the novel of the same name by Charles Bukowski, who died in 1994. Like Chinaski, Bukowski was a drunk, indulged in casual sex, and liked to gamble; and most of Bukowski's books, including Factotum, are based on his own experiences in and out of blue collar worker. Also, like his creator, Chinaski is a writer, albeit unpublished as yet. Nevertheless, it is probably best NOT to approach this film as a partial biography of Bukowski, but simply as a fictional movie based on his writings.

Chinaski, played by Matt Dillon, is the ultimate, irresponsible goof-off, living just above the level of skid row, who gets work when he needs cash for booze etc, but invariably gets fired within days or weeks. Told not to smoke in a particular workplace, he lights up once the boss is out of the way; asked to make a delivery, he drives the van away while it's still connected to an electric plug, leaves the van door open and drifts into a bar. Even outside work, he behaves perversely - notably leaving ointment on his private parts overnight, when he's been told that one hour is the absolute limit! And Chinaski, though initially appearing mildly passive, is not averse to violence, even to women.

The man's sole redeeming features are his belief in himself as a writer, and his persistence in writing and submitting his work. (His main redeeming feature should be his actual talent for writing, but the film gives us little evidence of this, except for a few Bukowski quotes, which in any case are mainly about his belief in himself.) .

Dillon fits this role like a glove. By turns, he sleepwalks, staggers and rampages through the movie - that is, when Chinaski isn't drinking in bars or sleeping it off with or without a woman. And, because this is fiction rather than biography, Dillon can mitigate his deplorable behaviour and slovenly dress simply with his good looks and dark eyes. One suspects that in real life Bukowski was far less likable than his cinematic alter ego.

Chinaski's main squeeze for most of the movie, bravely and quite unglamorously portrayed by Lili Taylor, is Jan who shares her lover's fondness for alcohol and a slacker life. In one sequence, when he has split from Jan, Chinaski encounters a glossier woman, Laura (Marisa Tomei), who introduces him to a more bourgeois world; but this doesn't last long, and he soon reverts to his usual round of drink and casual jobs. (Incidentally, I found the sound quality in the whole Marisa Tomei sequence quite poor, and missed much of the dialogue.)

I'm not too sure what anybody uninterested in Bukowski (or Matt Dillon) will make of this movie; but if you're looking for something in English other than blockbusters, rom-coms, costume dramas etc - this is it. And, whatever your view of the movie, if you haven't already done so, read some Bukowski - you'll love it!