A History of Violence
2005. Directed by David Cronenberg. Screenplay by Josh Olson, based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt, and Ashton Holmes.
I came to A History of Violence in the unusual position of moderately liking the typically love-it or hate-it films of David Cronenberg's career such as Naked Lunch, Dead Ringers, and 1996's Crash. I found elements I liked in those films, but wasn't sold wholeheartedly on any them. A History of Violence, however, left me completely on the love-it side. It is a powerful film that deals intelligently with complex thoughts and emotions. It is also exciting, suspenseful, sexy, and captivating.
The heroics of a small town coffee shop owner put him in the national news and organized crime comes looking for him claiming he is not who he says he is. Whether or not this is true is the central mystery of the film, but it doesn't rely on plot twists for its power. Instead it uses the knowledge we gain to look deeper into character and consequence. The acting is very good, the direction is terrific, and the story will linger in your head.
My grade: A
It will be added to my top ten of 2005
I came to A History of Violence in the unusual position of moderately liking the typically love-it or hate-it films of David Cronenberg's career such as Naked Lunch, Dead Ringers, and 1996's Crash. I found elements I liked in those films, but wasn't sold wholeheartedly on any them. A History of Violence, however, left me completely on the love-it side. It is a powerful film that deals intelligently with complex thoughts and emotions. It is also exciting, suspenseful, sexy, and captivating.
The heroics of a small town coffee shop owner put him in the national news and organized crime comes looking for him claiming he is not who he says he is. Whether or not this is true is the central mystery of the film, but it doesn't rely on plot twists for its power. Instead it uses the knowledge we gain to look deeper into character and consequence. The acting is very good, the direction is terrific, and the story will linger in your head.
My grade: A
It will be added to my top ten of 2005
posted by Keith Allison at 3:07 PM
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