Barton Fink (1991)
While certainly not my favorite Coen Brothers movie, something about Barton Fink keeps me coming back. I like the way it lampoons the pretentions of the Hollywood (and New York) elite, and the understated humor throughout.
Though there are few blatantly funny scenes, notwithstanding one line in particular which still had me laughing minutes later, I enjoyed the situational humor permeating the whole runtime. It’s the dramatic irony of seeing Fink’s disconnect from the common man, even as he condescends to one, of writing a movie about a wrestler though he’s never seen a wrestling match, of claiming to want to bring theater to the masses while not seeing the already-broad appeal of cinema.
Of course, I couldn’t talk about the movie without heaping praise on John Goodman, who really steals the show. He plays his character in a pitch-perfect manner, bringing a dead-on earnestness to him.
Links: IMDb | Blu-ray (import) | DVD
