Well Deserved Praise

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Not the easiest of films to watch but a really decent attempt at portraying Bukowski on film and containing some great scenes and very fine performances.Ben Gazzara, who probably is too good looking but nevertheless most convincing in the lead role is excellent, Ornella Muti is simply wonderful (and probably too good looking as well!) and at her peak of beauty here. Just wish she wouldn't do those things with safety pins!Susan Tyrrel also impresses in key sequences, but it's the whole thing that works so well.With such a difficult subject matter,Ferreri has done a tremendous job.

I love Bukowski's work, if I hadn't why would I search out this film? Ben Gazzara did a pretty good job, but, his renditions of poetry were lifeless compared to the real Bukowski, and this took me out of the movie. Also, the film barely scratches the surface of the book that it's based on. Marco Ferreri seems to be a competent enough director, but he doesn't infuse the film with any spark, any charisma. Frankly, I enjoyed "Barfly" much more. True fans of Charles Bukowski would see-thru this film, and would best look elsewhere, or better yet just re-read one of his books.My Grade:D Eye Candy: The beautiful Katya Berger bares all on the beach, Ornela Muti shows her incredible backside, also Tanya Lopert and Susan Tyrell show various amounts of skin

The movie is based on the novel of Charles Bukowski... and the film contains its spirit. "Storie di ordinaria follia" is deliberately sensual and "dirt", the main carachter (Ben Gazzara) takes directly inspiration from Bukowski himself -a drunk writer, who chooses to live among poors and neglected people, a man who lives sex like a philosophy, in order to taste the primal feeling of life...-.The picture is worth watching -because Gazzara is very good and Ornella Muti as well, she's also so sweet and gorgeous...-. The film is interesting because it tries to capture Bukowski ideals and his pessimistic ways to see the world. I think nevertheless that it is very difficult to film "materials" from a writer like him, because he's so excessive and outrageous... It's particularly difficult to translate his thoughts in pictures. The film is quite boring, the action is slow. Sometimes we have the feeling that there's no story. Marco Ferreri did doubtless better films (see "La grande bouffe" and "Don't touch the white woman").

Although not done by David, it would do him proud! Who would have thought the land of oranges and sunshine could produce such an interesting parade of weird and pathetic characters. The juxtaposition of these "lost angels" lives with the pristine, sunlight beaches just makes us all the more sympathetic. All is not well in the land of dreams and this film puts its glaring spotlight on it. This film could have easily have been five ordinary films. Ornella Muti perfectly does Ingrid Bergman and Isabella Rosilini as the object of desire on the outside and the bucket of worms on the inside. There is no real "supporting" cast: They are the movie!