A History of Violence (DVD, 2006)

David Cronenberg in his most mainstream film gives us the adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name.This film questions on the how far you will go to use violence to protect your family and how deep its connection with all of us.As we all know its human nature.

The film is fairly close to the graphic novel with minor little differences like for example names have been changed,also the town's name plus there are a couple of sex scenes that are not in the book.As the film starts we meet two bad guys in the middle of nowhere that cause the whole plot to unravel for Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) and his lawyer wife (Maria Bello) and his two kids Jack (Ashton Holmes) and Sarah (Heidi Hayes).While the two men are on the way to the small Indiana town that Tom lives.We see how life is in a small town and for Stall family.Its quiet, no fuss and hassels.Everyone knows everyone its most of the time a nice and quiet to live.While Tom and Eddie are ending a night in their diner that they own the two bad guys we saw in the start arrive.As they attempt to rob the place and threaten the people inside Tom in self defense kills both of them and saves the day.Now the hero,the event is all over the news.This as a event brings attention to mobster Fogarty.He believes Tom is a guy called Joey that he new from Philadelphia.This endangers the whole family.As Fogarty kind of stalks the family for Tom to reveal truth of who he really is.Is he Joey with Mafia connections or really Tom and its just a minor misunderstanding.

Every great film needs a great cast.Viggo Mortensen as Tom is one of his best roles yet.As a family man,husband and somewhat violent man Viggo is just great.Maria Bello in a great performance that will get her a Oscar nomination and already a Golden Globe nomination.Ed Harris is very good at playing the mean and stalking Fogarty.And last William Hurt.His part not that big,but its one of those performances that you just cant forget.He might get a nomination for a Oscar but its still not for sure.

This film asks the questions of what kind of history of violence do we have or anybody else has.Do you really know a another person.What person he truly is.And where is the limit of using violence to survive.And to protect those closes to you.And you can go also to the Darwinian sense the survival of the fittest.Also I cant forget even though that this film is Cronenberg's most mainstream film this does have Cronenberg touches everywhere.From the blood that has his touches for being quick,unexpected and disgusting for some people but its needed.And how he deals with characters to the fullest so we can understand them and feel in danger with them.Also the sex scenes in the film are needed to show the connection between the character's and their love and trust that they have.

On the DVD the film will be presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen,with both a English Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 tracks.Extras will include a feature commentary by director David Cronenberg,a deleted scene with commentary by director David Cronenberg, a documentary called Acts of Violence and a Violence's History: United States Version vs. International Version featurette.Ending the special features will be an Unmaking of Scene 44 featurette, a Too Commercial for Cannes featurette, and a theatrical trailer for the film.

This is one of the best films of 2005.Almost on every list of the top ten films of 2005 by critics and already nominated for many awards.This is one of Cronenberg's best films next to The Fly as his best in my opinion.Plus this a New Line Platinum Edition that tells you one thing that this DVD is going to be worth the buck.

om Stall is living a happy and quiet life with his lawyer wife and their two children in the small town of Millbrook, Indiana, but one night their idyllic existence is shattered when Tom foils a vicious attempted robbery in his diner. Sensing danger, he takes action and saves his customers and friends in the self-defense killings of two-sought-after criminals. Heralded as a hero, Tom's life is changed overnight, attracting a national media circus, which forces him into the spotlight. Uncomfortable with his newfound celebrity, Tom tries to return to the normalcy of his ordinary life only to be confronted by a mysterious and threatening man who arrives in town believing Tom is the man who's wronged him in the past. As Tom and his family fight back against this case of mistaken identity and struggle to cope with their changed reality, they are forced to confront their relationships and the divisive issues which surface as a result.

Words almost fail me that was how awesome the movie was. It was like flicking the switch of a light much like Tom Stall’s character does when in jeopardy, the movie went from something you weren’t sure about to something so engrossing you were drawn into the story and the characters so fully there is no escape. The story is about a man who through an act of heroism is forced to face a past that may or may not be his own and through the violence he commits is forced to face violence of truly violent men. The violence he commits for ever changes his family, his life and regardless of the mistake identity he must face up to what he has done and what it is doing to him. That’s powerful, the story is simple that of a mistaken identity but the meaning is very deep about how violence can change one’s life forever and inexplicably. The movie is not for the faint of heart as it can be graphic and it can be intense but the movie also is powerful and highly enjoyable and one of the best movies this year.

Viggo Mortensen might be the best actor that will come out of the Lord of the Rings fame much like Harrison Ford did with Star Wars. He is the movie, the movie isn’t even remotely possible without him as he sells the character so well even though for most of the movie he is very understated. That’s part of why it works, he is so quiet and so calm and likeable and then all of a sudden like the light switch being hit he is intense and even a little bit scary. I think I am going to look forward to any role he is in the near future, he was that good. He completely enthralled me and drew me in, the movie doesn’t even begin tell his character truly changes and evolves. I was impressed by Maria Bello performance as well as she complements Viggo so well, she is kind of like the lighting rod of the movie that almost draws the violence. Although sadly they don’t truly develop her character as she is more used as a setup for Viggo character, so in the end you don’t know truly where she stands. The movie is dark, its is deep, it is action packed, it is sensual at times as well and it can teach a lesson if you want to listen.

I want to state right off that this is NOT a kid movie or a family movie. Watch is before allowing your preteens-teens watch it as it does have violence and 2 sex scenes. I personally thought the sex scenes were tame compared to what can be found on TV, but the implication that the hero was doing ....to the female and vice versa in the first sex scene seemed offensive to one freind of the family even though they didn't SHOW it in detail. The violence is a tad gory and more realistic than most movies of the this type, but it doesn't dominate the movie storyline so fans of Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill will be disappointed or feel mislead by the title.

You have a man who has been married long enough to have a teenage son and a young daughter. He runs a diner and all seems quite in this small town until the two fellows from the beginning come in to rob the place and probably kill the people inside if the beginning is anything to go by. The "hero" saves the diner and stops the bad guys which leads into the question of how did he do it and why do some mafia related thugs arrive swearing he is this other fellow Joey who was best known for killing? Is he Joey? If he is, why are they hunting for him and why did he come to this quiet town? If he isn't, how will he survive the mafia thugs harrassing him and his family? Then when you have your answer on that, you get to deal with the ramification of his actions with his family. Nothing is cut and dry here and you can see Viggo's character struggling to figure out what is his best choice. A decent flick, but almost seems too short and the ending still leaves some questions unanswered on all the fallout from the hero's decisions. Good choice to buy used or cheap for a night when nothing else is on TV.

Maria Bello, Viggo Mortensen and Juhn Hurt.

Great Effects. Viggo plays Tom Stall, and Maria Bello plays Mrs. Stall. A cross country duo team of murderers and thieves, hit small towns making their way across america, when they make their way into smalltown usa. A local diner is the setting where the would be murderers/theives decide to hold the place up.Tom Stall aka: Joey Cusack, runs his own diner. Unbeknownest to any one else, except Tom of his own deadly past, he becomes an overnight sensation and celebrity. Ed Harris plays a interested party in the movie, as he wants joey dead. John Hurt plays Joeys brother who also wants him dead.
The violence in this film, gets very realistic, and the sex is very graphic at times. Everything comes to a head when Tom is in the hospital, Tom wants his life back. He does not want his family to suffer because of him, and so he knows he must confront his past, in order to right the future. So Tom confronts the past at a deadly cost to him. In order to protect his future with his family.
Not a family film, but a film of violence, sex, cussing...I gave this a rating of 5. I like Viggo, he is a great and versatile actor, and the new girl on the block, Maria Bello, she will be one to watch for in future films. As she is outstanding wether she is alone in a scene or with a co-star of Viggo's impromptu.

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Don't let the title scare you away. There is violence, but it is a love story about a man determined to hang onto his new life and the family he has created. I have yet to see a movie with Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris or William Hurt that isn't superbly acted and well made.