NICK NOLTE: NO EXIT (2008)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
Nick Nolte is not gregarious - he is laconic and keeps to himself. That is only fitting since in the documentary, "Nick Nolte: No Exit," the only reliable interviewer is Nolte interviewing Nolte. You get two Noltes which is great for his fans, but his life and his work are given only minimal exposure.
Nick Nolte, the interviewer, is clean shaven and is dressed as an extra from "Casablanca," complete with a white Stetson and beige colored suit. This Nolte is more suave and healthier-looking than Nolte, the actor, who looks dishelved, unshaven, and possibly drunk. Most of the time Nolte refuses to answer questions, asking to move on to the next subject. He does wax on about being uncomfortable as a teenager in the conformist atmosphere of the 1950's. But when it comes to films, he gives precious little insights. Remarkably, all he can fish out of the making of "The Thin Red Line" is that reclusive director Terence Malick loved filming nature more than actors. He also makes it clear that he never quite made it as a movie star on purpose - when they own you, it is over.
I will say that this film is not about Nolte, the actor or the man - it is about Nick Nolte as an icon of brutishness who demystified and possibly deglamorized the macho ethic. Lawlessness and guilt-ridden neurosis inform most of Nolte's best roles, from "Who'll Stop the Rain?" to "Affliction." If you enjoy watching Nolte talk with that deep, bearlike gravelly voice, you'll enjoy watching this as a guilty pleasure of sorts (there are also some pointed cameos by actors like Ben Stiller on Nolte, though they have nothing deep to say). If this is not your cup of tea, stay far away.
