The critics liked it, the narration helped, but I was sifting through the wreckage at the end. Was this the story that Nolte turned down 10 years ago because he felt he needed more life experience before he could play that role?

LtlPhysics:

You need to be a bit more detailed about what you didn't like about the film. (I'm not even sure that you didn't like it.) I will gladly discuss the film. Personally, I thought it was one of the very best of last year.

You did mention the narration and the use of narration is one of things that I found fascinating about the film. I often dislike narration in film because it is usually used to tell the story, which should be the camara's job. In Affliction, the narration is used as a form of manipulation, harking back to the "untrustworthy narrator" device that is sometimes used in first person narration in literature.

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"If it were all in the script, why make the film?"--Nicholas Ray

This movie is superbly acted and well made, yet it is a difficult movie to like. The subject matter, disfunctional families and child abuse and their affects on the victims as adults - the cycle goes on - is hard to enjoy.

Mike

I'm really looking forward to buying "Affliction" on DVD. It was one of the best movies of last year. Difficult to take in many spots, yes, but so what? I like incisive, artful character-driven stories. The father-son conflicts are timeless and powerful. That's partly why it made me wince so often -- I recognized a lot of interaction in the movie. Nolte and Coburn are magnificent, and Sissy Spacek does miracles with what could have been a nothing role.

It wasn't a matter of liking or disliking the movie, I was left with the feeling that I had missed something other than Nolte's ability to alienate everyone he knew by emulating his father, and a futile attempt to purge his demons in the last scene (I'm guessing). I have had my share of paternal conflicts and I doubt that they will ever be resolved.

I would have watched it again but I was running out of time, it was a Netflix rental that came with the dvd player.

I cannot watch 8 movies in 7 days, there's not enough time, for me, to take care of my other obligations and absorb a movie every day and on at least one day, a double feature. I will have to watch this one again.

Two of the best movies of the last few years have been based on novels by Russel Banks. First there was Atom Egoyan's "The Sweet Hereafter". Then last year there was "Affliction". "The DVD for "Sweet Hereafter" is one of my favorites. Besides the excellent transfer, it includes a lot of great extras. Too bad, the company that put out "Affliction" (Fox?) didn't learn a lesson from New Line. The transfer is decent, but there are no extras. It doesn't even have the theatrical trailer...just a "coming soon to home video" trailer. Incredible movie. Mediocre DVD.

Isn't Affliction from Universal?

That's right. "Affliction" is from Universal. And that's another reason to be disappointed with the DVD. Universal usually does such a great job. Why isn't this DVD a Collector's Edition?

jim

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http://www.dvdtracker.com/~gamblor187.asp