Patton-2 Review of Affliction

Affliction (1997)

This was one of those movies where I left the theater wanting my money back. Rating 4.

[4/10 · 21 February 1999]

I had heard almost nothing about this movie except that the acting was superb and that Nick Nolte is a policeman investigating a hunting accident in a small town. I love police and investigation movies and so I decided to go. The movie starts out great with Nick Nolte investigating the accident but as the movie goes on the investigation becomes less and less important in the plot. The movie becomes a contest between Nick Nolte's character and his father (played brilliantly by the great James Coburn) as to who has the more pathetic life. The movie just kind of let's the investigation part of the plot drop without any resolution. It is a horrible movie totally undeserving of all the praise and Oscar nominations it's been getting. The only redeeming thing about this movie is the performance of James Coburn as the alcoholic father. I'm glad he got an Oscar nomination because he deserves it. Nick Nolte does not. His acting in this movie is nothing special. This was one of those movies where I left the theater wanting my money back. Rating 4.