movie review - Affliction
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
Toronto, 1999.12.15
This is a brutal, unrelenting tale about a small-town sheriff whose alcoholism, rage, and bitterness drive him to paranoia, dementia, and violence. He (Nolte, in the best performance I've ever seen) punches his daughter, loses his job, burns a house, kills a family member, yanks one of his teeth with pliers, and generally has a miserable time.
It's not an easy movie to watch, but it's very well done.
Recommended.