Northfork

Starring:James Woods, Nick Nolte, Douglas Sebern, Claire Forlani, Duel Farnes, Mark Polish, Daryl Hannah, Graham Beckel, Josh Barker, Peter Coyote, Jon Gries, Rick Overton, Robin Sachs, Ben Foster, Anthony Edwards, Mike J. Regan, Mae Fassett, Perry Hofferber, Mark Twogood, Marshall Bell
Director: Michael Polish
Studio: Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Following their super-quirky films Twin Falls Idaho and Jackpot, the Polish brothers take a leap of faith with their third picture, Northfork. And it pays off handsomely. Somewhere in the desolate Midwest, the town of Northfork is about to be drowned in the waters held back by a new dam. It's up to a group of men (in identical black suits and fedoras) to clear out the last stubborn landowners. Meanwhile, a deathly ill boy bargains with a delegation of heaven-sent searchers--at least that's what they seem to be. Is this Fargo meets Touched by an Angel? That's the peculiar feel of this otherwise unclassifiable movie, which veers from academic artiness to wacky blackout humor. Who can explain the restaurant where diners must guess the lone menu item? And who would want to? James Woods and Nick Nolte lead a game cast through this oddly winning enterprise. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful and Engaging Film.......2007-06-17

This film has great performances, wonderful writing, beautiful cinematography, and kind of an easygoing mysticism that pervades it. Once you start watching it, you can't stop. The commentary is entertaining as well.

Northfork, Montana (1776-1955).......2007-04-20

A dreamy, stunningly atmospheric film takes place in a small town of Northfork, Montana in 1955. The government officials arrive to evacuate the town about to be inundated by a new hydroelctrical dam. There are the other visitors in the town, the angels from another time but they only seen by a dying boy Irvin. A local priest (Nick Nolte in a quiet heartbreaking performance) takes care of the boy. Irvin pleads with the angels to leave the place with them...

There is some unearthly quality in the film, some dignified mourning and sublime sadness when you suddenly realize the inevitable finality of everything - humans and their relationships, cities, countries, civilizations, the whole world as we know it. Death and birth have something in common - we go through them in the ultimate loneliness.

I cannot recall the film that affected me in the same way and as deeply as "Northfork" did, the film so beautiful and so tender, so quiet and so powerful, so heartbreaking and so moving. Even now, after several months since I saw it, tears come to my eyes when I only think of it.

After I saw it, I had to talk to somebody about it. I contacted a friend who had recommended the film to me and I asked, "Please tell me what I just saw?" And my friend replied with the words, "You just saw one of the greatest films of modern times. One of these days others will see the light."

Atmospheric and Lyrical.......2007-02-26

Northfork is visually beautiful and full of incredible images. A group of black-coated men attempt to evacuate the last holdouts of a town that is (supposedly) due to be flooded, and a young boy hovers between life and death, while a group of angels(?) seek one of their own to take back with them when they leave town. Although it sounds like a mess, I really enjoyed it. The film was shot in Montana, and the scenery is spectacular. The scene in the diner is straight out of David Lynch, whose influence is all over Northfork. Quite imaginative and enjoyable.

ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz.......2007-02-20

Beautiful cinematography and music as well as a cast of well known actors, this movie has it all...except that it is painfully boring. I fell asleep several times and could not stay interested no matter how hard I tried. The editing between scenes was very fragmented and the story moved sooooooo slowly. I did not enjoy this one very much at all.

Brain Activity Required.......2006-12-30

Reading previous reviews of this movie really make me sad. I weep at the ADD culture of modern America. The only thing that kept me from undergoing complete emotional breakdown was the fact that some people appreciated this film in the same way that I did. This is quite possibly my favorite film ever (maybe with the exception of "Waking Life" which is another film that many people can't stand to pay attention to) and it really disheartens me to see people maliciously rip it apart without really going into very much detail of why it "sucked" so much.

I'll be honest, this is kind of a hit-or-miss film. It really takes a lot of brain power to really figure out. But because it takes so much brain power to digest it, I think that this is really the type of movie worth buying on DVD. Many great films I can watch once and enjoy them very much but I don't really care if I ever watch them agian. It's the whole idea of "Been there, Done that, Got the T-shirt." Northfork is the type of film that KEEPS ON DELIVERING!!! I can watch it countless times and really get something new out of it each time. Even when I think I've got it all figured out, something new hits me that I didn't see before. It's movies like this one that are really worth owning.

Also, this film is just an absolutely beautifully executed work of cinema. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. Every single shot looks so carefully planned and fine tuned. The acting is great. The characters are intriguing, interesting and inviting. The film is just dripping with symbolism in every scene. The themes are deep and mature. This is the kind of movie that gets me going. It's absolutely captivating. Yes it's dense, yes it's complicated and yes it's absolutely beautiful.

When I say "Brain Activity Required" I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. I'm not saying that anyone who didn't appreciate this movie is an idiotic bump on a log who's not worthy of life on this planet. Not at all. What I am saying is that this movie really requires a lot more of an active processes from the audience. This is a movie that requires a much different approach to watching a movie. It's sort of like reading Charles Dickens. The pace may be slow, and it may be hard to dig the meaning out of the presentation, but you really see the genius when you get it all set straight. If you want to be a passive audience, then by all means this movie is not for you. Don't waste your time with it and don't hurt my feelings when you rip it apart for being too slow or boring or convoluted. If you really want an intellectually stimulating film, the open up Northfork and enjoy it for all it's worth. And it is sure worth a lot.

Charlie Rose with Nick Nolte; John Leguizamo (August 1, 2003)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Nick Nolte; John Leguizamo (August 1, 2003)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

Description

Actor Nick Nolte discusses his performance in the film Northfork. Then, John Leguizamo, whose HBO film is called Undefeated, talks about his directorial debut and his previous, Emmy award-winning work.

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