AFFLICTION

AFFLICTION (1998) **

Reviewed 1/1/99

Affliction's only saving grace is its performances, by Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, James Coburn, and Brigit Tierney. However Willem Dafoe's wooden voice-over narration, Paul Schrader's poor direction, and the story's inevitability stunt the film's dramatic force. The narration at the very beginning tells us what will happen, but even if it did not, we would know, such is the pervasive inevitability of the story. So we are dragged on masochistically for 2 hours watching a man's life fall apart knowing nothing can prevent it. Then when its all over, the shockingly bad narration gives us the unenlightening message that fathers should not beat their sons.