Affliction (1998)

Let's be realistic.

Excellent, a Must See

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

The main thing that pushed me to finally watch "Affliction" was to check out the Oscar-winning performance by James Coburn. Correct me if I'm wrong, but at the time, this legendary actor scooping up Best Supporting Actor over more the more heavily favored Ed Harris ("The Truman Show") was something of a surprise. Personally, I would've still selected Harris on that ballot, but there can be no doubt that Coburn's skin-crawling turn as an alcoholic, abusive father is also deserving of recognition. He makes this character – who could've been an absolute cartoon – feel completely three-dimensional, and shares a palpable familial chemistry with on-screen son Nick Nolte (also excellent). Coburn's imposing and unpredictable presence ensures the film is infinitely more interesting every time he appears on screen.Director Paul Schrader establishes a believable small town atmosphere in the film's first hour. The snow-coated, winter setting adds an atmosphere of detachment and bleakness entirely fitting to the journey of the main character.However, I'd be lying if I didn't say I found "Affliction" to be an overly slow-paced film, lacking in narrative drive. Even the 'murder mystery' aspect (along with it's "is-that-it?" resolution) does not do much for the plot. There is also heavy-handed and unnecessary voice-over narration. Bizarrely it is delivered by Willem Dafoe, who doesn't show up in the film for quite some time, and when he does, doesn't leave much of an impression. It would've been better to omit the narration altogether.I wouldn't entirely dissuade audiences from checking out "Affliction" – but it is likely to frustrate the mainstream audience expecting more of a murder-mystery thriller. Schrader has opted instead for an introspective character piece, which is certainly going to satisfy some (including, as it happened, the critics, who lavished praise upon this film), but frankly it is going to flat-out bore many viewers.

Stay away from this one unless you are entertained by psychological character studies and loads of psychically dark atmosphere. I am, so I loved it.It will remind you of the Paul Newman/Bruce Willis film Nobody's Fool. This is a variation on that theme, which is about a loser guy stuck in his ice cold hometown with nothing but bitter memories of his failure and an alcoholic father.But in the Newman film, the guy had come to terms with who he was. He was taking it in stride. In this one, the dad is still alive, so the memories are more vivid, and they're driving the guy crazy.I love the dynamics of a small town, and this one portrays them well. Everyone is like family, for better or worse. He goes into a bar and young guys are telling some story about his childhood. What are the odds? In a small town, they are high.It also follows the other movie in the trend of having one main guy who generates all the business for the town. It's usually a builder and someone who owns a lot of land and businesses. In this one, it's a French Canadian guy. It's not clear if he came down years ago from Quebec (which is where this one was filmed by the way). The setting is central New Hampshire, about a half hour north of Concord, the capitol.Besides the dark, unforgiving landscape and weather, what really makes the film, is Nick Nolte's convincing conveyance of desperation. We get the sense early on, that we have walked in on his downward spiral.Everyone thinks he's a loser, including his ex wife, his daughter, his employer,his dad, and his friends, but he has a soul mate to turn to in the darkest hours of the night. It's his little brother in Boston. These phone calls are his refuge, because only his brother can relate to what he's been through. He was there.One flaw is that we never hear what this guy has been doing since high school, yet he's in his 40's. He mentions having been in "the service," but that's it. In this movie he is a lackey for the guy who runs the town. How long could he have been doing that? I want to know if he ever had a long term job or profession, and also what his drunken old dad used to do for a living. That would round out the character development.Dysfunctional families and guys who dig huge holes for themselves usually do not resolve things happily. You find yourself asking why this guy doesn't just move to a bigger town and get a normal job and start fresh. But then you realize that his troubles will follow him wherever he goes, because they are in his head.I could take or leave the narration. Willem Dafoe has an intriguing voice, which is I'm sure part of why he was chosen for the brother/narrator role.I suppose it would be better without it, because it makes it seem like you are watching an episode of The Waltons,albeit a desperately dysfunctional version.James Coburn was fine. His role was repetitive,but he did it adequately. I don't think it was a huge challenge to play a drunk. Sissy Spacek was also not called upon to stretch too far. I don't know why a native to New Hampshire would have a Texas accent, but I guess it is supposed to double for a small town, rural accent nationwide.

"Affliction", based on the disturbing novel by Russell Banks, is a monumental "little" film. It's one of those independents that got overlooked by the public but not by the critics and certainly not by fans of the incomparable Nick Nolte. I won't give a lot of details or a plot summary since it's been done several times already."Affliction" is the story of how alcoholism is a disease some family members "catch" but all are affected by negatively in some way. James Coburn, family patriarch, has the disease. Nick Nolte, eldest son, catches it. And both Willem Dafoe, youngest son, and Mary Beth Hurt, wife, are affected by it. The wife is beaten into submission years before while the youngest son in scared to death of his father and as he says in the film, "I was a careful child and I became a careful adult" (explaining how one episode caused him to be very careful around his father and thus, it is now his role in life).But for this film, we are focusing on Nolte and Coburn who are so intense in this movie it is beyond belief that there was not a two-fer Oscar win for their performances. This is a father-son screen story for the ages worthy of a Greek tragedy. And as we join them at their current ages and the current stage of the battle, they are a frightening dynamic to watch.See the story in the Trivia section of the preparation conversation between the director Paul Schrader and Coburn. It is a true shame that we were not given the opportunity to see Coburn truly act more often. I always liked Coburn since he seemed likable but his career was a string of mainstream mediocrity in which he was punching a clock. This role shows us the depth of this man's talent that sadly Hollywood and he wasted with choices more like the embarrassing "Snow Dogs" than true acting vehicles such as this.For Nolte it was yet again another shaft by the Academy. People seem to be happy to equate Nolte's talent with the infamous mug shot that is so happily reprinted from a substance-related arrest. Why I do not know. I cannot think of another actor that I would lay down my money to see and know that am guaranteed my money's worth from his efforts at least. As someone mentioned in the comments, Tom Hanks (who also lost out on an Oscar in the same category losing to the lead role from the most insulting and disrespectful film made in many years, "Life is Beautiful"), would never have considered taking Nolte's role. Never. He is not going to take a role which contrasts with his "good guy" image and so we are treated to an endless stream of "average, nice guy wins" roles from him while Nolte, who takes more chances than any other actor in Hollywood, is continually ignored. This part is as skillfully crafted as his role in "Mother Night". You can see more of his talent in "Nightwatch" and more recently in "Off The Black", another small film he makes a big impact in. All ignored by the Academy.Nolte's skill makes his paranoid reactions to situations believable where other actors would make it comical or simply awkward. His anger and angst as well as his broken personality bursts out of the screen. Throughout this film his character PLEADS for help in every way he can without sacrificing that tough, leathery exterior that "real men" are supposed to have in this country (at least of that generation, that last generation it was expected of) and that his father holds up as the highest achievement any man can attain. But he is a broken man, broken deep inside where it is nearly impossible to repair and must start with a soul being opened up completely like a gutted, helpless fish which is not something men growing up in a situation like this can ever do, during or after (though honestly there is never an after ... it is always during ... and it is for the rest of your life). Nolte makes it all so real and genuine many comments on this board say he "must not be acting and must really be like this". I don't know Mr. Nolte personally and I am certain others saying this do not. It's just one more way of snubbing his immense and honest talent in favor of what the news media and the hammerheads on the internet would rather have you believe is the Nolte that matters, that is, that infamous mug shot.And what different "thing" does Nolte bring to every role? What makes the actor so unique? One thing I always notice is the walk, the gate of each character. In "Affliction" it is a rhythmic, self-assured stride as he is protecting what little of his insides there is left to try to save. But as the anger and the madness take him, the stride is hard, punching, and off-center.In "Off The Black", his stride is also off-center, physically with his right foot pointing out and his left foot pointing in as he angles through his uncertain life, uncertain of himself and his place in the world.I'm running out of room as I always do but Sissy Spacek and Willem Dafoe make big things of their smaller parts and flesh out the fun house mirror-feeling of the central figure's life that keeps us all off-balance to the sudden and brutal end.Schrader directs this group to a perfect film in my opinion. It builds to a deafening, disturbing crescendo in steady, well-timed measures. He was also overlooked for the Oscar for what is his best film since "American Gigolo".See this film. It cuts to the bone and then scrapes across the bone in a long slow draw.

Great New Hampshire atmosphere. Great actors on board. Now for the not so great. Depression reigns and Nick Nolte's character slowly descends into paranoia and madness. Not exactly a recipe for entertainment. There are several angles presented, including what appears to have been a hunting accident, Nolte's strained relationship with his ex wife and daughter, and finally dealing with his monstrous father, Charles Coburn. Expect fine acting, but there is very little entertainment value. Personally I thought "Affliction" played more like a "soap opera", and not like a feature movie. At best a one time watch, and at worst a forgettable film. - MERK