A playwright gets an offer to do a Hollywood screenplay
and suffers the worst possible case of writer's block. COMEDY/DRAMA
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Barton Fink (1991)Written and Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Starring John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Michael Lerner, John Mahoney, Tony Shalhoub, Jon Polito, Steve Buscemi Oscar Nominations - Best Supporting Actor (Michael Lerner), Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design |
The Coen Brothers crafted yet another winner with this one. Barton Fink is a clever, suspenseful, and intriguing story about the intricacies of a writer's mind. John Turturro absolutely excels as the eponymous Fink, providing yet another solid performance that proves once again that he is an incredibly underrated actor.
I also highly enjoyed John Goodman in this film, who played against type and showed a complex, insane character whose motives are entirely unclear until the last half-hour. Barton Fink shows how a certain order of unbelievable events can jog a writer's mind back into working order and help him craft a masterpiece. Maybe that's what happened to the Coens when they wrote this. |