77
Metascore
25 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Film ThreatEric CamposFilm ThreatEric CamposBukowski is one of my all time favorite writers and now I have an all new respect for the man thanks to John Dullaghan’s phenomenal film. I’ll be breaking out “Post Office,” “Ham On Rye,” and “Notes of a Dirty Old Man” again very soon.
- 90Village VoiceMark HolcombVillage VoiceMark HolcombCharles Bukowski, the bard of post-war L.A.'s working-class underbelly, was no ordinary cult writer, and John Dullaghan's thorough, compelling doc Bukowski: Born Into This does a credible job of showing why.
- 88Boston GlobeTy BurrBoston GlobeTy BurrWants to claim Bukowski (1920-1994) as a 20th-century West Coast Walt Whitman -- a people's poet of modern degradation. Through a selective presentation of his writing and a reverently crass treatment of his life, it makes a funny, often intensely moving case, and you're having such a good time that you're glad to let it.
- 80VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyMakes a compelling case for raising him (Bukowski) from cult status to the top rank of 20th century U.S. literary figures -- while providing ample evidence of a very colorful life and times.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco ChronicleIt's the portrait of an artist who had neither time nor respect for literary niceties -- he was, in the words of publisher John Martin, a "man of the street writing for the man of the street."
- 75Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittExcerpts from Schroeder's long video documentary about him, and from the flawed melodrama "Barfly" they made together, add more variety.
- 70Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasAccomplishes beautifully what it sets out to do, which is to reveal the man behind the crusty, hard-drinking, tough-talking persona Charles Bukowski so artfully crafted.
- 50The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinGoes to great lengths to show the man-child behind the barfly, but in its rush to deify its subject, it lacks critical voices and context.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterDespite the fact there's no lack of raw material, Bukowski fails to place its subject's actions and statements in any psychological or literary context. It's simply a celebration of Bukowski's misogyny and self-abuse.
- 50L.A. WeeklyScott FoundasL.A. WeeklyScott FoundasAs factoids do-si-do with testimonials from the likes of drinking buddy Sean Penn and fan-boy Bono, the movie all but becomes the very A&E Hagiography for which Bukowski would have had little or no patience.