Tales of Ordinary Madness

Give Charles Bukowski an A for consistency. Most of his stories, and the films based on them, focus on a poet-drunk who listens to classical music, can't hold a job, and falls in love with a downtrodden chick who has a sugar daddy. "Factotum," starring Matt Dillon, sticks to the Bukowski shtick. The story is the same old, same old. There are few plot points or twists or surprises. The reason to see this flick is the acting. Matt Dillon, Lili Taylor and Marisa Tomei portray their loser characters superbly. If you feel a real need to experience the Bukowski world, however, rent "Barfly" instead. (Image via Rotten Tomatoes)