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 Nort... more »hfork 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« less
Gloria B. (glowbird) from SPOKANE, WA Reviewed on 8/31/2011...
Other reviewers have done a great job of describing the pluses of this movie. I can only add that I was blown away. Highly recommend this one! Watched it after reading a couple reviews, and glad I did. What a gem, and definite "keeper." The good ones are few and far between.
2 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Sara F. (cupcakelover) from BATESVILLE, IN Reviewed on 1/23/2008...
I loved northfork!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Movie Reviews
Mesmerizing, haunting and visually stunning
audrey | white mtns | 02/20/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This film is based on the first screenplay by brothers Michael and Mark Polish, though it is the third of their trilogy to be filmed.Set in a small Montana town in the 1950s, this is the story of town with a mythic past that is now doomed. A dam will submerge the town soon, so there is palpable, imagic tension as three storylines develop: first, a young adopted boy, dying, is returned to Fr. Harlan (Nick Nolte) as his parents leave town, so the priest keeps vigil over the youngster and comforts him as much as possible; secondly, six agents (including James Woods and Mark Polish) with a monetary incentive have been sent to roust out those landholders who refuse to budge, and they have a number of surrealistic experiences along the way; finally, whenever the young boy collapses he encounters four purported angels who seem to be searching for him.It would be interesting to give this premise to a half dozen filmmakers and see the various movies they come up with; in the Polish brothers' case, we get a remarkable melange of images and themes -- angels, death, wings, bearing witness to each other, loneliness and human grief -- all set in a dream-like landscape. The cast is flawless, the pacing is slow (which makes it easier to enjoy the extraordinary visuals), and the stark situation is emphasized using a variety of techniques to film in color though almost always appearing to be black & white.It's fascinating to listen to the brothers' commentary which tells us, among other things, that these guys were basically bankrupt when they made the film and that their father became the production designer because he was the only person who, when asked to build an ark, just said "How big?".In addition to a fascinating (and essential) commentary track, extras include a series of featurettes collectively running 36 minutes and called "BareKnuckle Filmmaking: the Construction of Northfork", which delves into the genesis, production and filming of this remarkable film, including great comments from the actors; a trailer; and a Sundance Channel 4-1/2-minute featurette about the brothers in Montana, their homestate and the location of filming.I'm amazed at the polarity of the reviews on this movie, and would suggest that if you are a person who likes straightforward narrative, this is probably not for you; however, if you enjoy life's amibiguities, mystery, symbolism and earlier Polish Brothers' films -- get this as quickly as you can. It is unique and breathtaking. These talented siblings are two of the most innovative visionaries in cinema today. When others' films are long forgotten, our grandchildren will be watching these films. These guys are totally underappreciated, and I hope they make films forever. It doesn't seem right that they have to struggle to get their works filmed, but I'm so grateful to them for all the passion and effort that they bring to their projects and with which they inspire their colleagues."
Offbeat but beautiful meditation on change and acceptance
Danny M. Hobbs | Tigard, OR United States | 05/04/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In 1955, the town of Northfork, Montana was flooded when the gates of a completed dam were closed. Against this backdrop, two related stories are told. In one, three teams of men, motivated by rewards of lakefront property, attempt to get local die-hards to move on before their homes are flooded. This story is filled with humor - visual gags, offbeat characters, and a 100% off-the-wall scene at the local diner. But there are human touches, too, as one father-and-son team argue over whether to save their wife/mother's coffin from the rising flood.
In the other story, Father Harlan (played with heart-breaking tenderness by Nick Nolte) takes care of Irwin, a young orphan who is dying. As Irwin drifts in and out of consciousness, his fevered mind creates visions of angelic beings and reunion out of the landscape and his pitifully few belongings - a model airplane, a comic book, bird feathers he's collected.
This film is very carefully crafted. The two, interleaved stories are visually unified by the "big sky" landscape and a color palette of muted blues, grays, and tans (everything - land, water, buildings, machinery, people - is color-coordinated). The transitions between the two stories deliberately link the fantasy-like character of Irwin's angelic visions with the absurd elements in the evacuation story, and at one point suggest that Irwin's dreams may not be that far off the mark. And finally, Nolte's monologue, inspired by his own experience, goes straight to the heart of the matter.
The result, for me, was a gentle and moving meditation on the inevitability of change and loss, and the grace we find through humor and acceptance. This is visual poetry, a movie to watch again and again."
Can't wait for the DVD of Northfork
Tim Fallon | Seattle, WA | 10/28/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Northfork I saw this summer and fell in love with it. It is one of those movies which demands multiple viewings because the writing is so rich and visuals so hypnotically dense. I'm really interested in checking out the documentary on the DVD which chronicles the making of the movie.
`Northfork' has that something special that the Polish Brothers brought to "Twin Falls Idaho". But Northfork is grander and would accurately be called an epic. Shot in the Northwest (I think entirely in Montana) the movie is just striking to look at : The backdrop is the transcendent mountains of Montana photographed like never before as a haunting score swells and rises with the impending flood of the soon to be deserted town, and smack dab in the middle of the mountain grandeur is a house turned giant ark, as in Noah's Ark.
The story counterbalances the intense visuals: a town in the mid 1900's is being evacuated to make way for Government dam project. James Woods and company are sent out to remove the holdout residents. Meanwhile a dying orphan, recently adopted, is brought back to the town preacher(Nick Nolte) because his parents say he is too sick to make the journey. The boy slips in and out of surreal dream sequences with a band of hilariously dry gypsies.
Northfork really took me on a journey. It has an American heartland feel, with a very European pace. It is such a beautiful movie to look at and to ponder that the DVD will surely be part of any serious film library."
Indescribably beautiful, albeit a bit confusing.
Robert P. Beveridge | Cleveland, OH | 03/08/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Northfork (Michael Polish, 2003)Michael and Mark Polish, the same writing team behind the delightfully twisted Twin Falls, Idaho, now unveils Northfork. I'm not sure there are enough good things I can say about this movie, and yet I feel I lost a lot in translation from the big screen.The basic structure around which all the stories revolve is the moving of the (real) town of Northfork, Montana, to higher ground in 1955. Various subplots involve three teams of related men hired to move the locals who refuse to leave their homes; the priest who runs the local orphans' home, which is left with a sole orphan to place; and four individuals impossible to describe who are searching for a relative.The acting in this film is simply superb, which is to be expected given its high-powered cast. James Woods, Nick Nolte, Kyle McLachlan, Claire Forlani, Daryl Hannah, Peter Coyote, Michele Hicks, Ben Foster, and Anthony Edwards, among many others, all make appearances (one wonders only why the Polish brothers didn't case their favorite actor, underrated comic genius Garrett Morris, in this one). The sound transfer to the DVD is one of the worst I've ever heard, however; the voices are mixed so painfully softly compared to the ambient sound that subtitles are a necessity in some parts of the film unless you want the cops citing you for noise violations. Use the subtitles. You want to catch what's going on. Despite the darkness of the locations and cinematography (which lends the film a claustrophobic, ominous air throughout), the main feeling of the work is a sense of pure whimsy. Angels in Montana in 1955? Well, that would seem to be the case, along with a conspiracy to hunt them down and amputate their wings. James Woods actually says the words "Whatchoo talkin' bout, Willis?" and pulls it off. The eviction agents find themselves in increasingly absurd situations as they travel from house to house, and the orphan, who is terminally ill, orchestrates wilder and wilder delusions in his head. (Possibly. It gets hard to tell what's real and what's going on in the boy's head.) I'd be hard-pressed to call Northfork a comedy, but it contains moments of sheer comic genius.Brilliant. ****"
Move Along Home
Matthew Gladney | Champaign-Urbana, IL USA | 09/02/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"What happens to us when we die? Is a final resting place really final? What defines what a home is? What is your job worth? "Northfork" tackles these any many other, more subtle, questions, and for the most part addresses them successfully, if not necessarily absolutely.The movie begins with the premise that the entire town of Northfork must be moved to make way for a new dam. The dam is seen by some as a positive change, a provider of power for the area. Others look upon it as the concrete headstone of Norfolk. Most of the residents have been moved away by the government. Where have they all gone? We do not know for sure. A few have stayed, defiant to the end, or are simply too tired to make the trip. One man has built an Ark, and plans to float away once the water rolls across the land. Another, Father Harlan, is staying to help nurse Irwin, a sick little boy whose adoptive parents have returned him to the vicarage. James Woods, in one of his best, most understated performances, is Walter O'Brien, one of the handful of government agents sent to Northfork in 1955 to help the people leave their homes. His son, Willis, accompanies him on this somber mission, unhappy with more than one thing pertaining to the town's impending doom. Walter's wife / Willis's mother is buried in the Northfork cemetery, and it's up to her loved ones to move her body lest it become awash in the waters of the dam. This brings to the forefront one of the most poignant storylines of the movie.Irwin is not doing too well with his illness. Father Harlan (in another great performance by Nick Nolte) does what he can for the boy, including making him steaming cups of tea, giving him a Hercules comic to read, and a little toy plane to play with. And, of course, he prays for the child. But is it enough? For we see that there are visitors present inside one of the old abandoned houses on the outskirts of Northfork - four people who are there to determine if little Irwin is the one that they are looking for. As the movie proceeds, the boy's life is in the balance.I liked "Northfork" quite a bit. It moves at an extremely slow pace, taking its time to set the mood, and to examine the people and occurences within the story. Sometimes we learn more about the characters by how they sit, or how they look at each other, or what they *don't* say to one another, as we would if they just inhabited a more 'normal' film. The movie is also very quirky. It reminded me, in a sense, of a David Lynch film. Unlike Mr. Lynch's incomprehensible features, however, "Northfork" resolves itself in such a way that you have a pretty good idea of what has transpired. Or do you?The four visitors that Irwin communicates with in his feverish dreams are eccentric characters known as Happy, Cod, Cup of Tea, and Flower Hercules. Their names are reminiscent of some things which inhabit Irwin's real world. And there is a strange wooden horse/dog looking creature that stomps around the abandoned house of the four visitors, and it looks not unlike the head of the cane of Father Harlan. So -- are the four visitors real? Or are they figments of young Irwin's dying mind? If they're not real, then how does Walter O'Brien see them at one point? "Northfork" brings up this, and many more unanswerable questions. It provides solutions, but not necessarily answers. What happens to us when we die? I'm sure the answer would be of comfort to Irwin. Is our final resting place really final? I'm sure the answer would provide no comfort to the late Mrs. O'Brien. What defines what a home is? To the people of Northfork, they must find that answer elsewhere. And what is your job worth? To Walter and Willis O'Brien, as well as the other government men in Northfork, it is the possibility of prime lake front property. Is what they do for a living worth it? Is the building of the dam worth the sacrifice the town of Northfork must make?"Northfork" raises these issues, deals with them, but does not answer them. If you're looking for a conventional movie, then look elsewhere. If you're looking for something a little deeper, something which makes you think and feel at the same time, and which will stay with you for a long time to come, then watch this film. I guarantee you that you've never seen anything quite like it."