User reviews

Wade Whitehouse is a policeman in a snowy New Hampshire hamlet. Divorced, depressed and nursing a burgeoning drinking problem, he isn't what one would call mentally stable. He lives in the shadow of his abusive father, Glen, a brutal arch-manipulator who makes it his business to belittle Wade at every turn. As Wade investigates a supposedly accidental shooting, he becomes obsessively convinced that there is more to the crime than meets the eye. As the case intensifies- and his father's cruelty continues to erode his sanity- Wade falls into a violent spiral of madness from which he can never return.

Written and directed by Paul Schrader- and based on the novel of the same name by Russell Banks- 'Affliction' is a tense, tough psychological thriller that examines the devastating effects of abuse on the psyche. The film shows in subtle detail how years of disparagement and violence can destroy someone mentally, leading to psychosis and an inevitable breakdown. The characters involved are routinely believable, both in terms of writing and performance, and Schrader never resorts to sensationalism to further the narrative. It is a stark piece of realism in many respects, giving credo to Shakespeare's line that "the sins of the father are to be laid upon the children."

'Affliction' is a visually striking, heavily atmospheric venture boasting fine cinematography from Paul Sarossy. He shoots the landscape to heighten its drabness- its never-ending scope- in a manner most effective. At times it is reminiscent of 'Fargo,' with the snow- pervasive and claustrophobic- covering everything in sight, obscuring the dangers lurking 'neath the surface. Sarossy's utilization of space in interior shots is arresting, and the way he captures a pivotal scene involving a tooth and a pliers is intensely visceral, uncomfortable and unforgettable.

Unforgettable too are the performances from the cast. Nick Nolte stars as Wade, giving an intense performance that ranks alongside his very best. Brooding and fidgety, he is a bundle of insecurities and impulses, a complicated man if ever there was one. Nolte brings this character to life in a way that is terrifically understated, yet undeniably powerful; never resorting to theatrics or verging into overacting. Just as Dennis Hopper was Frank Booth or De Niro Travis Bickle, so too is Nick Nolte Wade Whitehouse- no-one could be better for the role.

The same can be said for James Coburn, co-starring as Glen- he is pitch-perfect. Coburn has never been so frightening on screen and, like a mad tsar, he revels in his depravity. Clearly having the time of his life, he delivers what may be his finest on-screen performance, creating in Glen a man so insidious and vile watching him may make your skin actually crawl. He and Nolte work together brilliantly and you don't doubt for a minute that they share a complicated, dark history. Coburn rightly won the Oscar for his performance- it is a true tour-de-force.

Also starring are Sissy Spacek and Willem Dafoe, as Wade's girlfriend Margie and his brother Rolfe, respectively. Spacek has never given a bad performance on screen, and creates in Margie a kind, considerate and (above all else) patient woman- the only source of goodness in Wade's cold world. She is marvelous, consistently underplaying it and leaving an indelible impression on the viewer. Dafoe too is excellent, though his character is underutilized and- arguably- a little underwritten. He doesn't have enough screen time to make something interesting out of Rolfe; but does fine work nevertheless.

Paul Schrader's 'Affliction' is a brilliant, sinister thriller, dealing with mature themes in an interesting, subtle way. Boasting a fascinatingly intense central performance from Nick Nolte, as well as a career best one from co-star James Coburn, it is a film that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout its run. Tense, violent and unpredictable, 'Affliction' is a shockingly raw and naturalistic portrait of a man's descent into madness that one cannot recommend more highly.

With Paul Schrader coming back and making well-made movies with First Reformed and Card Counter. I think looking back on it, Affliction is forgotten way too much when we talk about Paul Schrader.

Nick Nolte is absolutely out of this world in this movie. And it reminds me that Nick Nolte is also forgotten way too much when we talk about "great actors". He came back with "Warrior", we talked about him again, then we forgot about him again. But in this film he portrays this character like no one else would or can, slightly out of it, he accurately portrays this character who slowly loses his mind right in front of us. And he wasn't exactly all there, to begin with.

And can we talk about how the setting for this film being so perfect? A great filmmaker is not only one of course someone who can make a great film but realizes that making a great film is all in the details, even the ones that are overlooked like locations. Locations can impact the mood and atmosphere of a film, and sometimes even can become a character in the movie. And Paul Schrader recognizes that which is why he perfectly placed Affliction, First Reformed, and Card Counter in the exact locations they should be in.

This film is a near-masterpiece but I rarely see it even mentioned among the greats from the '90s. There are films out there that can be referred to as "Lost to Time". And this is definitely one of them.

For what is considered a small, independent film, this movie is packed with brilliant performances by two great actors. James Coburn is the dark, angry patriarch of an abusive household, whose abuse and anger are inherited by his son(Nolte). The story is told by the youngest brother (played mainly in voice-over and a small cameo by Willem Dafoe), and traces the events of a small town murder investigation that leads to the mental collapse of Nolte's cop character. The film weaves us through a buffet of sub-plots and bit characters (including a nice appearance by Sissy Spacek), which is at times whish-washed. However the tone and style of the film are quite fresh and unique.

Penned and directed by Paul Schrader, who will probably always be known for writing "Taxi Driver", the film is a stylish take of what is most likely a much better novel. The tone is cold and dark, and serves as the perfect backdrop for the anger and isolation of the two "male" characters. In my opinion, the voice-over narration takes away from the feeling the picture leaves, basically serving the purpose to tell us what to feel. The images and performances on the screen do a fine job in dong that on it's own, without re-enforcment. On a whole, the film is powerful and moving, and is a great look into the heart and soul of lives that are truely tortured. I would recommend this film if for no other reason than to see the brilliant performances of James Coburn (Oscar winner) and Nick Nolte (Oscar nominee).

Paul Schrader's adaptation of Russell Banks's "Affliction" has got to be one of the bleakest movies that I've ever seen. Most of the characters are people whom you can respect, but James Coburn's character makes you feel like your stomach just turned to water.

Wade Whitehouse (Nick Nolte) is a cop in a small New England town investigating a hunting accident which he believes is a murder. He hopes that it might make him the town hero, but several conditions work against everyone. First and foremost is Wade's alcoholic, abusive father (Coburn). Pretty much anytime that we see his father, the man is still drinking and being as nasty as possible to everyone around him. Wade's brother (Willem Dafoe) is too afraid to speak his mind. Wade's hubby (Sissy Spacek) is simply getting nervous about everything around her. And the ending isn't what you might guess.

The winter setting is just the opposite of how movies usually employ snow. Far from any winter wonderland, the setting backs up Wade's depressed mindset affected by his upbringing. Everything in this movie has the purpose of making you feel like there's a lead weight on every square centimeter of your body, and they succeed. I do think that it's a good movie, but just be forewarned of what kind of movie this is. Even if you sympathize with the characters, you feel like there's a knife in your lungs.

Worth seeing.

Wade Whitehouse (Nick Nolte) is a small town sheriff in New Hampshire. He's out with his daughter Jill on Halloween. He has a troubled relationship with her and his ex-wife Lillian. He is known as a drinker. Local Jack Hewitt guides a wealthy outsider to hunt for a prize buck. Jack claims that he accidentally shot himself but Wade is suspicious of the death especially since he's suppose to testify in an organized crime case. Wade and his girlfriend Margie Fogg (Sissy Spacek) visit his abusive father Glen (James Coburn) and find his mother dead in the freezing house. Wade's brother Rolfe (Willem Dafoe) and sister Lena return for the funeral.

I don't always like narration and this opening narration really puts me off. It emphasizes to me the novelized nature of the movie which highlights the story's unfocused meandering nature. Nick Nolte is terrific and the cast is full of top notch players. It's nice to see James Coburn still acting with power. I need the movie to be more focus. There's a murder mystery and quickly, it's taken over by a dysfunctional family drama. It seems to be a constant pitfall for all adaptations from novels. The transfer from the page to the screen is not always smooth.

This is a movie which rewards at many levels. Its characters are fleshed out human beings capable of good and evil and in the grips of intense suffering, not the formulaic cardboard creations which populate so many recent Hollywood productions. The movie's atmosphere and mood are thick and the bleakness of the New Hampshire winter comes alongside its beauty and majesty. Paul Schrader achieves here what has eluded the Coen brothers in Fargo. The photography of Paul Sarossy is of a rare beauty and his compositions are breathtaking. Think of the scene of the two brothers in the barn lit by light sneaking in through the slits in the wood exterior, the beauty of the snow covered New Hampshire chalets, the camera receding from the barn fire until we get to watch it through a slightly off-center picture-window from the main house, and finally think of the snow in its serenity, its menace, its domination. The two stories are so naturally intertwined that one can spend most of the time convinced one is watching a thriller, until in the end this thriller dissolves into the main story which explores the violent undercurrents of human love and bonding. This whole is as thick and rich as cream.

I am in awe of Nick Nolte's spectacular performance. It is honest, complex and totally convincing. Nolte is ably supported by James Coburn and others. This is moviemaking at its best.

This bleak and depressive story deals a small-time sheriff named Wade Whithehouse(Nick Nolte, also producer) from an icy small-town. He's separated(Mary Beth Hughes, married to Paul Schrader) with a daughter(Tierney) and a girlfriend(Sissy Spacek). He's deranged from his childhood by his abusive drunk dad(James Coburn). When occurs a mysterious murder of a businessman(Sean McCann) during a hunting accident, he suspects his companion(Jim True) and Whitehouse thinks a dark conspiracy that is involved his chief(Osborne). Meanwhile his mother dies and his brother(Willem Dafoe) arrives for the funeral. But the investigation results to be the catalyst for his ending degradation and all goes wrong, including a teeth suffering.

This cold and thought-provoking drama deals about desperation, madness and distress.Outstanding performances, particularly from Nick Nolte as damaged sheriff who looks for redemption during an investigation but gets worse, and James Coburn who won deservedly Oscar for best secondary actor. Downbeat musical score by Michael Brooks. Bleak cinematography by Paul Sarossy with a flashbacks during the childhood in a documentary style. Interesting script by Paul Schrader in the finest work of his career, he adapted it from Russell Banks' novel. Schrader is usually director and writer tales referred beaten-down men who fall into despair as their world crashes around them, such as 'Mishima: a life in four chapters,Blue collar,Hardcore, Light sleeper, Autofocus and Affliction'. Rating : Good but is quite depressing.

AFFLICTION / (1997) **** (out of four)

By Blake French:

Dysfunctional families have always been the subject of motion pictures. Recently, with movies like "American Beauty" and "The Story of Us," Hollywood has portrayed American households as candidates to be on the next TV tabloid talk show. Paul Schrader's dramatic portrayal of a troubled family in "Affliction" is as intense as any suspense thriller released within the past few years. The thought-provoking power of his script, based on the novel by Russell Banks, and the methods he uses to execute the vivid, interpretative character study creates more than just a sense of emotion and empathy, but places the audience in the character's shoes, allowing us to explore a tense atmosphere on our own.

The movie looks into the life of a struggling person named Wade Whitehouse, played with extreme intensity by the descriptive Nick Nolte. He is the lowly sheriff of a small backwoods in New Hampshire. Nothing much happens in Lawford, however, thus Wade is usually restricted to plowing the snowy streets and serving as the local school's crossing guard. His ex-wife, Lillian (Mary Beth Hurt), has most custody of their daughter, Jill (Brigid Tierney), and neither relative enjoys his company. Wade's alcoholic father, Glen (James Coburn in an Oscar worthy performance), who abused him and his brother Rolfe (Willem Dafoe) as children, continues to abuse him emotionlly.

The subtle town of Lawford is turned upside-down when a rich businessman is mysteriously killed while hunting with Wade's friend, Jack Hewitt (Jim True). Finally given something to investigate, Wade takes his job seriously, even when complications arise when his mother dies, his brother comes home from Boston, and his waitress girlfriend (Sissy Spacek) meets Wade's parents and realizes what she gotten herself into.

As Wade's life starts to completely unravel, the filmmakers neglect to leave out any details; from flashback of his fathers abuse to an uncompromising toothache, Wade is developed vividly and clearly. The movie is best when allowing Nick Nolte and James Coburn to come to terms with each other's hatred for each other. The performances are what make this movie much more distinct than similar but lesser films like "The Other Sister" and "The Story of Us," and even better acted than the masterpiece Award winner "American Beauty."

Instead of milking the dysfunctional family material to the maximum, the film also has tender dialogue and heartfelt scenes that exhibit a loving relationship between Wade and his girlfriend. These scenes make even more tragic the production's unsettling conclusion and increase the overall dramatic impact, which is tremendous.

By the end of "Affliction," like in "The Ice Storm," we feel for the main character's losses. Although this film is more conclusive, it is also unmerciful; we receive no happy ending, no satisfying motifs, this movie takes itself seriously and has no pity, regrets, or agreements. For Wade Whitehouse, the climax of the movie represents death, grief and sorrow. For us, we can only stare at the screen and try to comprehend what we have experienced through his eyes.

Very good performances will stir you, and steer you through the bleak tone of the movie.

Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek and James Colburn create believable characters and the script allows the characters to develop--something not all-together common in American movies.

Without giving away the ending, which is no surprise if you are thinking while watching the movie, one wonders if the producers ran out of film. While every little detail is developed throughout the movie, the ending seems tacked on, without development, and complete with a voice-over sermon by Willem DaFoe. The hasty ending lowered a "9 star" rating to a "7star".

I can't imagine anyone in their right mind wanting to see this film more than once, and once may be too much for a lot of people. I can appreciate Paul Schrader and Russell Banks' message about child abuse having perpetual ramifications for its victims, and dead-end lives, but still...who wants to have their face rubbed in that for two hours! I wanted to see an MGM musical after this bilge.

Its not the actors fault: Nick Nolte is impressively over-the-edge and sustains his performance well. James Coburn also registers well as his vicious father, but its strictly a one-note performance that, in my opinion, did not deserve the oscar he won, which was a career award. Sissy Spacek, as always, is a breath of fresh air, but given far too little to do. The child actress, though, who played Nolte's daughter was irritating in the extreme, and an affliction on the audience.

This is the best film I've seen for a while. I don't understand all that whining and complaining about the weak plot or how depressing the film was. Well life is depressing at times. And more than tells a story, Affliction draws a beautifully sharp picture of one desperate, troubled but goodhearted man's breakdown. Nolte's acting is awesome and he sets into the role perfectly. I think he should have won the Oscar, although Coburn was great too and deserved his price. With it's snowy scenery and small town murder mystery Affliction shares similarities to Twin Peaks. I also like films that include some kind of a statement towards the world around us, and that's what Affliction does.

I'm already quite familiar with the movies that feature Nick Nolte and I must admit that I normally always enjoy his movies. I truly believe that he is one of the more gifted actors in Hollywood who should get the chance to play some bigger roles in more important movies. Take for instance this "Affliction". It has been directed by an unknown director and when we are talking about money, than this is clearly not one of the biggest Hollywood productions ever. I wouldn't even be surprised if this movie never made it to the movie theaters over here. I certainly hadn't heard of it before and I only watched this movie because Nick Nolte played an important role in it, but that doesn't mean that it can't be any good of course.

Wade Whitehouse is a police officer / snow plow driver in a small town who hasn't exactly had the most perfect life. As a kid he was always humiliated and mentally tortured by his father and as an adult he wasn't able to save his marriage with his ex-wife Lillian, causing him to lose all contact with his daughter Jill, and his job doesn't really give him any satisfaction or respect. The only person that cares for him is his girlfriend Margie, who accepts him the way he is. When on the first day of the hunting season his best friend takes a wealthy businessman on a hunting trip and that man gets killed in suspicious conditions, Wade decides to play detective and starts investigating the case despite the fact that Jack insists that it was nothing more but an accidental, self-inflicted shot. Gradually Wade finds more and more evidence that Jack lied. But is this really what happened or is Wade gradually losing his last grip on reality?

I must say that the concept of the story is very intriguing and I'm convinced that this could have been an award winning story, if done properly. And that's the problem with this movie. The idea behind it is more than OK, but the execution left me with a double feeling. It just wasn't as compelling and gripping as I hoped it would be. It wasn't bad, but the entire movie didn't completely convince me either. However, the acting certainly hasn't got anything to do with that. All actors did a good job, but Nick Nolte was in my opinion really outstanding. His performance is probably the best reason why you should watch this movie.

In the end this certainly isn't a bad movie and I'm already glad that it is so much better than so many other Hollywood products, but saying that this is one of the best movies ever would be exaggerated as well. I liked the fact that the characters were quite well developed and that the movie tried to be original without impossible explosions or other action shots, but the story wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. I give this movie a 6.5/10.

"Affliction" doesn't have an immediate plot. It's mostly a delve into a man's (Nick Nolte) psyche, a divorced alcoholic man who was abused as a child by his drunken father (James Coburn). He tries to cope, he tries to make something of himself by attempting to solve a hunting accident which he thinks is really a murder. He claims that after this, everyone will remember him as a hero.

Luckily the audience isn't made to believe Nolte's cause, to us he looks just as mad as he does to the characters around them. This is well done, because it could've been presented as some big twist at the end.

Anyway, the "mystery" element to the film isn't that important. It's mostly about how hard - and almost impossible - it is to prevent an emotionally abused man to make the same mistakes his father made. This idea is presented well, but by the end it just feels so thick and depressing that it's hard to take anything from the film, because you don't want to remember it.

Acting-wise the movie is quite good. Nolte delivers what I think is his best performance here, with a quiet desperation wonderfully put out by his eyes, voice, face, and so on. James Coburn does his usual well, but I have to question just why he won an Oscar for this. Don't get me wrong, he was a terrific actor and his performance in this is great, but he's not in many scenes, and the scenes he is in are mostly just a variation of the same thing: Coburn drunkenly and violently mumbles at his sons and eventually starts to yell and thrash. This is all well and good, but his scenes never go beyond that, except for (maybe) at the end when he spews his own sort of twisted philosophy to Nolte.

Other great performances come from Sissy Spacek as Nolte's increasingly uneasy girlfriend. Also Willem Dafoe as Nolte's brother who is so concerned with being quiet and not problematic that he cant prevent the build-up of violence and abuse in his family. I'd say that this performance is more Oscar worthy than Coburn's.

This is a good movie with a great message, but it doesn't put enough on the table, 7/10.

What if, at the end of "Cool-Hand Luke", in the scene where Luke is being driven away to die in the warden's station wagon, we had been treated to a voice-over on the historic cruelty of the Southern prison farm system??? Would have sorta deflated the whole movie, wouldn't it have??

This is the effect of the Hillary Clinton-ish little speech on male violence we get at the end of this otherwise strong story which leads us up to the tragic conclusion that Wade cannot escape the forces that shaped him. That little monologue clubs us over the head and deflates the whole movie, transforming it from a moderately engrossing story with a good feeling for tragic destiny, to a social uplift screed.

Wade's daughter, who we sympathise with at first, I found to be somewhat of an unlikeable little whiner by the end, especially when she snubs Wade's desperate efforts to buy her a Big Mac because "junk food is bad for you." (When she whined "I want to go home" for the 100th time, I wanted Wade to say "Fine by me!", and turn the truck around). Coburn's performance is a bit ham-handed and the script doesn't help him at the end when it calls for him to "congratulate" Wade at the point when the son seems, a bit too obviously, to have finally become his father. The murder mystery subplot seems a cheap device to try to give the movie some box office boost, and is completely gratuitous.

Having said that, Nolte's beautifully-paced performance does have a gripping urgency to it, as Wade tries more and more desperately, against the odds, to escape his destiny. The tone of the movie is wonderfully bleak and foreboding, and the sense of impending doom is well-conveyed. The final scene, of Wade sitting, drinking, at the kitchen table with the window framing the burning barn outside, is a memorably powerful image. Unfortunately it is destroyed by that awful voiceover.

The movie is still, however, far superior to most of the dreck coming out of Hollywood nowadays.

I was surprised at the unadulterated praise this film received. While it was an accurate and sometimes gripping portrayal of man destroyed by a fearsome upbringing, aspects of the film like the blank, detached voiceover and very bookish dialogue destroyed the effect and impact of the story. It was very dark but unlike other films in the confessional/tell-all drama this film failed to illicit sympathy for the protagonist caught in the grip of his demons. Nick Nolte's character was unpleasant and pathetic from start to finish. In fact most of the characters were, lacking even the charm and vitality of real life much less what viewers expect of the big screen.

The mysterious appearance and later disappearance of the younger brother was distracting as well. When the film ended I was relieved albeit horrified. A good idea, a less than perfect execution.

Based on a novel by Russell Banks who also wrote "The Sweet Hereafter", and directed by Paul Schrader of "Raging Bull" and "The Mosquito Coast" fame, the winter landscape and cold bleakness of the town sets the tone for this exploration of the dark legacy of what it is to be a man.

Nick Nolte stars in this dark story of a the lone policeman in a small New Hampshire town investigating a hunting accident. James Coburn is excellent as Nick Nolte's father, a brutal and angry old man who typifies a sick machismo which has in turn afflicted his son. His acting is extraordinary as is Nolte's although their styles are different. Noltle is subtle; his facial expressions are controlled and typical of a man who has learned to hold in emotion. Coburn's face, on the other hand, is more deeply expressive; his eyebrows move, his mouth hardens, his eyes glare.

This is the kind of dark, brooding movie that I like. For a brief few hours I enter its world and get completely absorbed in the characters in the way I did with "A thousand Acres" or "The Horse Whisperers". Like these films, there are no easy answers and the conclusion does not wrap up in a neat little Hollywood package that is soon forgotten.

I have seen this movie in bits and pieces, because it was difficult for me to watch it all the way through and digest it all at one time.

Paul Schrader's movies can have a dark, unsettling edge to them, and this movie is no exception.

Maybe because I brought personal baggage to the table while watching this, is why this movie gripped me so much. I have alcoholic relatives in my immediate and extended family, and I have seen what their anger and destructive behavior hath wrought.

Nick Nolte and James Coburn's characters made me squirm. Coburn received a best supporting Oscar for his role, and it is well-deserved. His character is a mean, vengeful, hateful alcoholic who inflicts his pain on others and afflicts one of his sons, Wade, played by Nick Nolte.

Very gripping and intense family drama.

HIGHS--

What a basket full of acting desserts. Nick Nolte, James Coburn and Sissy Spacek in a cold and bleak New Hampshire landscape, all moved and disturbed in their own destinies. A well-deserved Oscar for Coburn. To die for writing. You feel the pain and humanity of each character. Schrader's direction is on the mark.

LOWS--

Without spoiling the end, would liked to have seen a fuller resolution to things. I guess I just need more closure after having invested so much empathy in these characters. After all this film is solely about character development.

PARTING IMPRESSION--

If you're in the mood to be depressed (and I think we all are once in a while), this is the ticket. A fabulous drawn out scream against how misaligned life can go and the things we might do in our attempts to redirect it. Possibly Nick Nolte's very best performance. Seven out of ten.

From the first minutes of this film I found myself more aware of the script's shortcomings than the action. I kept thinking, "These poor actors are trying their best, but I just don't see why the characters are saying that." But I soon discovered that I would never understand why any of the characters do anything in _Affliction_. Why is Margie so smitten with a loser like Wade? Why are Jill's parents so dang old when Wade mentions he got married when he was just a kid? Why does Rolfe suggest a conspiracy theory regarding the shooting "accident" and then later describe the plot as existing only in his brother's imagination, as if he had nothing to do with it? Why do the flashbacks suggest bad camcorder more than forty year old memory? And is it just me, or does Wade's boss have a weird accent? In this film Schrader has created a mess of underdeveloped plot lines which he can only salvage by tacking on a voiceover at the end to finish up the story and try in vain to explain to us why we should care. The alcoholic father is a one-dimensional monster (despite Coburn's noble attempts, I found myself praying that someone would kill him early into the movie), and the protagonist is so multidimensional that he is impossible to grasp. Mostly, I just didn't care what happened to any of these people. After shelling out nine bucks at the box office, I couldn't bear to leave, but I'll confess I did whip out a magazine and try to read, but it was just too dark (a good description of the film overall). The last time I was so bored by so much gratuitous familial dysfunction was when I saw _The Sweet Hereafter_, also based on a Russell Banks novel. I think Mr. Banks and Mr. Schrader each need to cough up $4.50, and maybe I'll forgive the waste of my time.

PS Yes, Nolte gave a great performance, but alas there is no Oscar for Best Actor in a Bad, Bad Movie.

Baffling in parts, and I enjoyed very little here (the acting was strong at least), but I also have to begrudgingly admire what Paul Schrader seems to be going for here. This didn't hit me in a way I can put into words, and I found much of it very dull, but there is still something here that I haven't even managed to scratch the surface of. But it's there, and I don't know if it's a failure on the film's part or mine that digging deeper feels impossible.

If you want to see the kind of film that's impossible to categorize within any broad genre, and want to come away feeling empty, cold, and miserable, but not in the ways most empty, cold, miserable films might make you feel, maybe it's possible to recommend Affliction. This is a sleepy, difficult, and frustrating film, but it's uncompromising and very well-acted (even if Nick Nolte is impossible to understand at times), and I have to give it some credit for making me feel stumped and numb.

Affliction they called it. Ya it had pain and grief, so the title did fit the movie very well. However this movie had no direction. There were many little problems through out the movie, which at times made it hard to focus on because the movie kept switching from a set of characters struggles to a different set. As I watched this movie, I kept thinking that they would tie in some of these issues and bring the story together in the end, but it never happened. This movie was a very slow and dry paced film. Yes at the end of the movie, it was clear what the main goal was, but how they got there was simply terrible. I don't recommend this movie to anyone. I endured an hour and 55 minutes of it and I never would again.