Oh Nick Nolte...

Affliction(dir. Paul Schrader)
This film doesn't feel fully developed. Pretty much all the stories and relationships feel underdeveloped. I don't really see how his father's actions when he was a child has any effect on the present. I'm sure it scarred his character, but Nolte performs in a way that doesn't seem like his actions are propelled by his past. His actions seem like they stem from his present situation with his ex-wife and child and the hunting accident. I'm sure someone could explain to me those are just ways to release his frustration from all the pain his father inflicted on him, but his flashbacks are not nearly as horrific as what his character ends up doing. His father is pretty much a monster and Nolte's character is pretty much nuts especially at the end. The end was oddly moving probably due to the fact that the imagery becomes hauntingly beautiful for the first time in the film. Watching Nick Nolte drink his alcohol in front of a window with a farm on fire is amazing within itself. Willem Dafoe's narration feels completely unnecessary especially since this is Nolte's character's movie, not his character's. I might rewatch this at a later date.
**1/2 out of ****