Osmosis Iron
You just can't escape the violence can you? It justifies the "violence" in it's name more than enough! Shows that Cronenberg can do excellent comic book adaptations as well as creepy sci-fi.
Prashast Singh
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is a phenomenal film. It's a groundbreaking, mindblowing, entertaining action film which has been made so well that it's hard not to like it, especially being a fan of the genre.It's unlike usual action films. The treatment itself says it. All the action scenes are brilliantly executed. The film's tone keeps changing from dramatic to thrilling from time to time. I just can't sum up how artistic this film is. Viggo Mortensen is one of the best things about the film. His performance is energetic, and he shows a lot of excellence throughout the entire film. All other actors too deliver fine performances.Technically too, the film's quite good. I am really impressed with the director's ability to build up the required tension throughout the film within a perfect duration.If you want to see an action film with a lot of depth in the plot, then A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is really worth a watch. There are a lot of sequences which make you breathless, while it's the climax which makes you even more breathless.
Leofwine_draca
David Cronenberg's film is a visceral look at the effects of violence on normal, everyday family life; charting how it ripples out from a single act of violence until it becomes all encompassing and prevalent. Typically for a Cronenberg film, it doesn't shy from the scenes that other movie makers avoid; here we get some violent shootings and explicit sex scenes, but it's nothing compared to some of the director's earlier fare like THE FLY. Instead, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is a surprisingly subtle, well-acted thriller that builds the suspense scene by scene, has many interesting and surprising plot twists, and keeps you engaged throughout.Viggo Mortensen fits the small-town hero role like a glove, and handles his part with aplomb; he's especially good when handling more complicated scenes later on in the movie. Some great actors ably support him, although Maria Bello, as his wife, fails to make her character the remotest bit likable. Instead, the actor playing Viggo's son is superb, Ed Harris excels as a scarred gangster, and William Hurt turns up right at the end in a creepy showdown.Cronenberg's direction is as assured as ever, although his customary coldness is apparent in one or two repellent moments. The various acts of violence are handled very well and are surprisingly restrained given the director's pedigree, but this doesn't detract from their impact. All in all this is a very well-handled thriller that has a number of interesting, compelling themes, including identity, doing what is right, and, surprise, surprise, violence. Cronenberg's maturest work yet.
moonspinner55
Viggo Mortensen displays a wonderfully natural combination of innocence, pain and confusion playing the proprietor of a small town diner who says he's been mistaken by mobsters out of Philadelphia for being a killer living under an assumed identity. David Cronenberg directs this intense drama with a sure hand, though the plot, loosely adapted from a graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, grows steadily more outrageous as it nears its conclusion. Still, Josh Olson's Oscar-nominated screenplay holds several surprises and interesting characters, though his usage of 'faggot' as a put-down is mighty old (can't we call a moratorium on this ancient schoolyard insult?). Handsomely-produced and nicely acted throughout, with William Hurt also Oscar-nominated in a small but pivotal role. **1/2 from ****
AD
