basic synopsis: Viggo Mortensen stars as Tom, a man who leads a quiet, charmed life with his loving wife and family in a small town until an unexpected incident turns bloody and brings unwanted attention to him. Tom is forced to return to his secret past in order to rescue his family from peril.
This is one of the best films I've seen exploring the psychology of a character who lives a double life. There is a depth of character development here that surprised me but then, it's a David Cronenberg film and his films always surprise me. The underlying sense of tension never lets up until the end and even then, it remains without any easy resolution. And the ending shot is absolutely riveting.
Mortensen's portrayal is astonishing of a man who spent three years reimprinting a new personality with a new name and then, marrying a woman and having children through that second personality. Almost twenty years later, his genetic brother catches up with him for some criminal payback due from the early days and you can almost hear the shattering of his world.
Maria Bello, as his wife, delivers a powerful performance of an strong and intelligent woman torn between the man she fell in love with and the other man buried beneath him. William Hurt, as Mortensen's crime boss brother, pulls out a forceful and brilliant characterization of total inner corruption that is simultaneously way over the top and very real; a mindblowing cameo.
Yes there is violence in this film but none of it is gratuitous or romanticized but played very realistic. The effect is of a genuine shock value joined to real life integrity. It's out on dvd and I highly recommend it.
This is one of the best films I've seen exploring the psychology of a character who lives a double life. There is a depth of character development here that surprised me but then, it's a David Cronenberg film and his films always surprise me. The underlying sense of tension never lets up until the end and even then, it remains without any easy resolution. And the ending shot is absolutely riveting.
Mortensen's portrayal is astonishing of a man who spent three years reimprinting a new personality with a new name and then, marrying a woman and having children through that second personality. Almost twenty years later, his genetic brother catches up with him for some criminal payback due from the early days and you can almost hear the shattering of his world.
Maria Bello, as his wife, delivers a powerful performance of an strong and intelligent woman torn between the man she fell in love with and the other man buried beneath him. William Hurt, as Mortensen's crime boss brother, pulls out a forceful and brilliant characterization of total inner corruption that is simultaneously way over the top and very real; a mindblowing cameo.
Yes there is violence in this film but none of it is gratuitous or romanticized but played very realistic. The effect is of a genuine shock value joined to real life integrity. It's out on dvd and I highly recommend it.
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SF Bay Area
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Re: "A History of Violence" (2005) by David Cronenberg
Tue, April 4, 2006 - 12:45 PMChronenberg has made some highly original and visually intense films such as "Naked Lunch," "Existenz" and "Videodrome." Not everything of his is up to that level of audacious imagination however and "A History of Violence" disappointed in certain ways. The first half, portraying a man who is being menaced by shadowy underworld figures is riveting due to its ambiguity and mystery. Once it has been determined that, yes Tom Stall was a violent mobster, the film looses much of its power. His brotherly visit to Richie and subsequent shoot out is rather cartoonish and reveals little about Tom and Richie's past. It's also hard to imagine them being brothers. The ending doesn't resolve Tom's situation since the murders he just committed will surely lead to more trouble (and they know where he lives now).
It's not a bad film and includes some strong performances. Final third just wasn't compelling or insightful. -
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Re: "A History of Violence" (2005) by David Cronenberg
Tue, April 4, 2006 - 12:51 PM"Final third just wasn't compelling or insightful. "
I so totally disagree with you here. What was so compelling to me was how the actor (Viggo) portrayed the emegence of the buried man inside him as it clashed with the created man he had been maintaining with his new created family. Watch this final third again, look at his eyes and tell me you don't see somethinmg compelling there. As a surreal film, A History of Violence" does not measure up to other Cronenberg fare.. What intrigued me here was how the director cut new ground and succeeded, even if he disappointed those fans expecting more dream-like visionary attacks.
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