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David Cronenberg's 2005 thriller about a family man who may have a dark past as a killer.

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A Quick Tip by SheilaDeeth

Oct 9, 2010

by SheilaDeeth
posted in Movie Hype

A movie in two halves. A world in two halves too. Nicely delineated. Cleverly done.

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review by Lopez15. April 15, 2010

posted in Movie Hype

4 stars: The Nature of violence is a dark and dangerous path down the road to death and sorrow....

For as long as humanity has existed we have always been violent we may have not been created that way but somewhere down the line we found out that violence could save us or destroy us. It all depends on if we choose to use violence as a means of salvation or as a means of destruction in David Cronenberg's blunt yet very insightful film raises thought provoking and shocking questions about the true nature of violence and how it can affect some and change others. how sometimes … more

Comments (3) Compliments (24)

review by Count_Orlok_22. December 23, 2008

posted in Movie Hype

A Past That's Best Forgotten

WARNING: This film contains strong brutal violence, graphic sexuality/nudity, explicit language, and brief drug use. In the film A History of Violence, director David Cronenberg (Videodrome and Crash) examines America's fascination with violence. At the same time, both compelling and disturbing, the film shows the way that violence affects the residents of a small town in the Midwest. Utilizing his sense of irony, as well as his cinematic ability to create suspense, Cronenberg … more

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review by MichaelN. April 29, 2009

Could Have Been Better

This is one of those movies that seems to start off as a powerhouse and then peters off where the director was not sure where to take it and the movie seems to feel more like a long Sopranos episode than a feature length film. Tom Stall runs a diner in a small Indiana town with his wife. Tom is the "nice" guy with the adoring wife that works with him and two children that everyone in the town "knows." One day there is trouble in the diner which causes Tom to get into a fight … more

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review by Schtinky. November 08, 2008

Excuse me for moment, I must clear my nasal passages ...

I was anxious to watch 'A History Of Violence' because I had heard it was quite, well, violent. While there are two very exceptionally gross scenes, the violence unfortunately didn't fit it with the rest of the movie. For the most part, 'A History Of Violence' is a rather boring movie that takes a long time to get going. Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) owns a diner in the quiet, rural town of Millbrook, IN, has a beautiful wife and two well-behaved children. When two thugs enter … more

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review by cyclone_march. March 06, 2007

posted in Movie Hype

The review gives away the farm (but it is a little farm)

Pros: That the dvd didn't come with something sharp to harm myself with. Cons: That the dvd didn't come with something sharp to harm myself with. The Bottom Line: Not the worst movie ever, but it would be on an top ten for most dull. Plot Details: This opinion reveals everything about the movie''s plot. Never have I been so bored by a movie where so many people die. … more

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review by MichaelN. December 11, 2006

posted in Movie Hype

Could have been a lot better

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review by kfontenot. July 21, 2006

A Swift, Violent Ride

Viggo Mortensen takes off his cowboy hat from "Hidalgo," his sword from "LOTR," and trades them in for a shotgun, a number of handguns, and a few swift punches to the throat to flesh out his role of Tom Stall in "A History Of Violence." The flick starts off with a bit of a surprise, then uses the next twenty or so minutes to build up the monotony, simplicity, and happiness of Stall's life. He has a perfect wife, Edie (Maria Bello), a good son (Ashton Holmes), and an innocent daughter (Heidi Hayes). … more

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review by Chris_Pandolfi. March 22, 2006

Shoots the Competition Dead

The idea that a movie with graphic depictions of murder could also be deep and incredibly interesting didn't cross my mind until I saw "A History of Violence." I understand now why David Cronenberg chose to direct it; his films are nothing if not bizarre and over the top, but they also have an underlying complexity that makes them fascinating to watch. Maybe that's because he chooses stories that focus primarily on the dark recesses of the human mind and the realities they create for the individual. … more

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review by liago4. March 17, 2006

I Expected More But It's Still Good

Too many times I've watched a movie expecting greatness and not getting that. I just knew A History Of Violence would be good but it only met some of my expectations. Although it will keep you entertained you might get mad at it lacking some realness. It may look real but trust me it doesn't look real enough and it goes on for the entire movie. For example when Tom saves his diner and the people in it he hits one of the robbers in the face with a pot of coffee and it's so obvious it's digitalized. … more

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review by gradyharp. March 16, 2006

A Good Idea Flawed by a Thunderously Bad Script

David Cronenberg has a style with his films that is unmistakable: he is unafraid to address the darker aspects that lie within us all. That he pushes this idea over the limits of viewable film is reflected in some of his popular films such as 'Dead Ringers', 'The Fly', 'Spider', 'eXistenZ', 'Naked Lunch' etc. Yet despite his apparent love of gore he drives home a point that should be considered. Most of the time he works with a good script. For A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE he is hampered by one of the … more

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About the reviewer

Sheila Deeth (SheilaDeeth)
Ranked #50

Sheila Deeth's first novel, Divide by Zero, has just been released in print and ebook formats. Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Powells, etc. Her spiritual speculative novellas can be found at … more

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About this movie

Wiki

Starring Viggo Mortenson, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt
Directed by David Cronenberg
Writer: John Olson (screenplay)
2005

Product Description
An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father (Viggo Mortensen) commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.

Canadian director David Cronenberg, whose impressive oeuvre includes such disparate works as THE DEAD ZONE, THE FLY, DEAD RINGERS, M. BUTTERFLY, and SPIDER, has made what might be the best film of his career with A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Loosely based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, the movie stars Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall, a quiet, easygoing family man who runs a diner in a small Indiana town. But when two dangerous criminals come into the restaurant prepared to wreak havoc, Stall turns hero and shoots them both. After Stall's story is blasted all over the media, Philly mobster Carl Fogaty (an excellent Ed Harris) shows up, claiming that Tom is actually former hit man Joey Cusack--and they've got some important business to finish. While Stall insists that Fogaty is mistaken, his family--his wife, Edie (Maria Bello); teenage son, Jack (Ashton Holmes); and young daughter, Sarah (Heidi Hayes)--gets dragged into the danger that constantly threatens to explode. Cronenberg, whose films ...

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