neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Northfork
	Michael Polish James Woods, Nick Nolte, Duel Farnes, Daryl Hannah, Mark Polish, Anthony Edwards, Peter Coyote, Kyle MacLachlan, Claire Forlani, Robin Sachs, Ben Foster 2003		Michael and Mark Polish — the twin brothers who teamed to write, direct and co-star in the weird, wonderful drama "Twin Falls Idaho" and followed that by making the gloomy, less successful "Jackpot" — have come up with a knotty but visually impressive third film. In "Northfork," a 1955 hydroelectric project will transform a Montana town into a lake when a dam opens, flooding the area. A regiment of government reps (James Woods, Peter Coyote, Mark Polish and other, less familiar actors) is sent into the town to roust the last of the residents who have refrained from evacuating their homes. Among the stragglers are a scruffy preacher (Nick Nolte) and his charge, a sickly orphan named Irvin (Duel Farnes). Here's where "Northfork" takes a few detours, moving from the tragedy of homes lost and lives uprooted and into the realm of the fantastic. Four strange angels (Daryl Hannah, Anthony Edwards, Robin Sachs, Ben Foster) believe that Irvin may be one of their own and debate his fate. With stark, beautiful cinematography of the Montana terrain in muted color, a cast of some significance and a dryly witty metaphysical text, "Northfork" is a special place to visit — only not for everyone.