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.
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.