Bukowski, like peers Hunter S. Thompson and William S. Burroughs, is one of those authors whose legend precedes him. Many, in fact, seem to love or hate him based on the myths alone. I’m not all that well-versed in Bukowski, having only read “Post Office” and “Ham on Rye” in addition to some of his poetry, but it’s safe to say that there’s much more to the man than the myth. “Bukowski: Born Into This,” like any good documentary, is a great film whether or not you’re interested in the subject matter. Piecing together lots of footage and interviews with Bukowski as well as interviews with contemporaries and fans (the likes of which include Tom Waits, U2’s resident ego Bono and Sean Penn) the documentary provides a varied and always interesting picture of the man that took back literature and poetry from the social elite to where it’s always the most heartfelt and interesting: from the point of view of the everyman. The film shows through these interviews and footage of the man himself that Bukowski is exactly what John Lennon always pretended to be: a genuine working-class hero.

Highly recommended.