Dillon Powers Drunken Factotum

Is it just me or is Matt Dillon just getting better with age? I mean, the guy has been around for what seems like forever now, bursting through as Melivn  Moody all the way back in 1980 with the coming of age classic “My Bodyguard.” Now after scoring his first (and much deserved) Oscar nomination for his turn as a racist cop in “Crash,” the actor follows that turn up with another magnificent portrayal in the independent slice-of-life drunken socio-comedy “Factotum.” Playing Henry Chinaski (the fictional alter ego of writer Charles Bukowski), Dillon crafts one of the superlative alcoholic turns of our time, his performance ranking right up there with Ray Milland’s in “The Lost Weekend” and Mickey Rourke’s in “Barfly.”

The movie itself is as disjointed, chaotic and all over the place as a keg-influenced late-night bender. The script by director Bent Hamer (“Kitchen Stories”) and Jim Stark (“Cold Fever”) is as episodic as one of Bukowski’s stories on which it is loosely based. The basic thrust of it all is an almost stream of consciousness narrative following Chinaski as he does everything possible to avoid holding a steady job, traveling from bar to bar and drink to drink across the dingy streets of Los Angeles. But, then, this is to be expected. Henry’s a writer, his real love putting pen to paper and dreaming up a cavalcade of pulpy male-driven stories, and when he’s not putting words to parchment he might as well spend the remaining time taking a drink, having sex or placing a bet down at the local track.

For those wanting more than that prepare to be disappointed. “Factotum” is every bit as simple and as streamlined as that synopsis would suggest. That said, if you are a fan of remarkable acting, solid direction and biting humor that cuts so deep it could leave a scar across your jugular welcome to the film made expressly for you. Hamer’s opus has a drive and an energy that is truly sensational, and in the canon of things unique and different hitting a screen at your local art house this one certainly fits the bill.

The acting is universally excellent all around. Marisa Tomei (“In the Bedroom”) excels as a brunette bimbo who picks up Henry in a bar, leading him into a high class world of wealth just as drunkenly dazed as he is. Fisher Stevens (“Undiscovered”) pops up in an amusing bit as well, his brief turn as a coworker who helps Chinaski discover his gift for playing the ponies fittingly amusing. Best of all is Lili Taylor (“High Fidelity”) as the woman who captures the writer’s heart. There is a fire in the actress’ belly that’s almost overpowering, a dynamic to her portrayal that blisters like the California sun a hot summer’s day. She’s fantastic, and it’s hard to believe “Factotum” would be anywhere near as good as it is without her.

But none of them hold a candle to Dillon. This is truly one of the single most magnificent performances I’ve seen all year. Forget that lackluster turn in “You, Me and Dupree,” this is the actor we discovered brilliance in with pictures like “Crash,” “City of Ghosts” and “There’s Something About Mary.” Dillon easily could have smoked, shrugged, belched and f**ked his way through this one, inhabiting the familiar ticks and nuances of a drunken reprobate we’ve seen time and time again. Instead the actor turns Chinaski into just the type of whimsically tortured artist every writer can relate to in some fashion or another, this complex, multifaceted and intriguing portrayal so good I can’t wait to see what Dillon has up his sleeve next.

Listen, I realize this movie isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s kind of a mess, the choppiness of the narrative a little surprising considering how assured Hamer’s previous films have been. In fact, trying to find a narrative line that easy to grab hold of is nearly as difficult as trying to forage out bits and pieces of the truth while listening to a Presidential press conference.

But that’s okay. Hamer’s film is dynamic and affecting, powered by performances so strong I’ll probably be talking about them months down the road. In short, “Factotum” is a winner, and I don’t even need a shot of my favorite alcohol to say so.