Affliction

Year: 1997

Grade: C+

Country: USA

Director: Schrader

Review

affliction is primarily about the descent of one man – played by nick nolte. if not for nolte’s character this film would be just average. there’s a lot about the film i didn’t like – the use of voice-over, some of the acting, etc. but it does effectively capture nolte’s descent. james coburn is good, willem dafoe doesn’t offer much of anything and sissy spacek is about the usual. i think my major problem with the film is the sense i got that i’ve seen it before. it seemed like just another film about one man in a small town who has mental/emotional problems that he tries to work out through the course of the film. i suppose it’s no more cliché than any other genre film, though, so maybe it’s just that i don’t like the genre that much.