Has there ever been a movie you've watched, which upon first view seemed to be only average but upon second and third views developed into brilliance?

Late last year, I wrote about "Factotum," a movie starring Matt Dillon, who plays a character inspired by a young Charles Bukowski. Overall, I gave the movie a very average rating, noting that it wasn't a dark comedy but instead a dark, desperate film about a dark, desperate soul.

I am officially an idiot.

Maybe it takes a second look or a different mindset, but thanks to an online service I'll soon cancel -- Vongo -- I watched it a couple of times again over the past couple of days and absolutely fell in love with it.

Hey, I love the dark movie. I love movies in which booze is a central character. I love dry humor, and "Factotum" actually had all of it. In particular, I recall a conversation between Dillon and a boss who would soon fire him.

Dillon explained that he was a writer and that he had almost finished a novel, to which the boss replies, "So, what's the book about?"

"Everything," Dillon replied.

"Everything? Is it about, uh, cancer?," the boss asked.

"Yup," Dillon retorted.

"What about my wife? Is she in there?," the boss quipped.

"Yup. She's in there, too," Dillon said.

When I look at the best booze movies, I am quick to point out "Barfly" and "Trees Lounge" and "Leaving Las Vegas," and I am sure I missed one or two of my other favorites. However, this movie about a focused screw-up has won its way into this list, and I do believe I saw this one at Wal-Mart for like $7.50, which means I'll buy it.

This movie is definitely not for everybody. It's dark. It's dry. It's drunken, and it is desperate. However, it's proof that sometimes I need to give movies a second shot before trying to sell others of its mediocrity.

Here's a review I absolutely respected -- except for the part in which she referred to "Crash" as monumental mediocrity (baloney). Nevertheless, she's dead-on right with this movie. Greatness.