It's an important week for those of us interested in the Oscars. Opening today at the Miracle are two films, AFFLICTION and GODS AND MONTERS, both of which were honored with academy award nominations for actors. From Affliction, Nick Nolte received a nomination for best actor and James Coburn for best supporting acting. While Ian McKellen got the nod for best actor and Lynne Redgrave for best supporting actress for their roles in Gods and Monsters. But even if your interest is not in those who did and did not receive nods from the academy, both films are well worth a look.
My favorite of the two is Affliction, since it holds the attention so very well, crossing genres with apparent ease and never really coming completely clear until the final frame. The story concerns Wade Whitehouse, i.e. the Nolte character, who is a stereotypical loser. Nothing goes right for Wade. He's a miserable cop, a miserable father, and pretty much a miserable human being.
Since it's the movies, you can rest assured that something is going to happen to shake up Wade's otherwise pretty miserable existence, and it does. It seems that Wade has stumbled upon a murder mystery in the frozen outskirts of his small New Hampshire town, and for a time the movie seems set on a somewhat predictable course, the small time loser will uncover major crime and suddenly become a hero. But before you can settle comfortably back to watch this tried and true story unfold, the very framework of the narrative unravels when we meet Wade's father, Glen Whitehouse, i.e. James Coburn. Then everything becomes completely jumbled.
The end result is a very appealing if dark and gruesome film. And it's easy to see why Nolte and Coburn were nominated for the academy's highest honor. Both are brilliant.
The setting of Gods and Monsters could not be further removed from Affliction, yet there is a common theme--men reflecting on their past. Gods and Monster's, based on a true story, concerns the final days of director James Whale, the man responsible for such movies as "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein." Ian McKellen obviously earns his Academy nomination for his gentle portrayal of Whale, but often fellow nominee Lynn Redgrave, who plays Whale's housekeeper with atrocious flair, upstages him. Gods and Monsters is far more lighthearted in nature than Affliction, but I recommend them both.