Mortensen's History of Violence
Directed by David Cronenberg, 'A History of Violence' is a film that covers the 'inescapable situation' theme the director has dealt with before. Starring Viggo Mortensen (best known as Strider from the Lord of the Rings trilogy) as the go-lucky family guy Tom Stall, this is one of Cronenberg's most accessible films yet.
Settled happily in a small community, Tom runs his own average Joe 'Stalls' diner, and is married happily to very American wife Edie (Maria Bello), with their son Jack (Ashton Holmes), and daughter Sarah (Heidi Hayes). Tom leads a respectable life with a good standing in the community.
However, this peaceful present is shattered when Tom thwarts an attempted robbery at his diner, unwillingly allowing his past to catch up with him. The media praises him as a hero, but his actual history could not be further from this, and now Tom, his family and his community have to discover the ugly truth the hard way. An interesting, but imperfect, look at a person's History of Violence.
The film is well executed and directed, but contains a few unnecessary scenes, especially in the introduction where there are many "family guy" portrayals. However, fifteen minutes into the film, the plot tightens and the atmosphere thickens.
For those who have seen the trailers, 'A History of Violence' is not as action-packed as the trailers suggested. It dwells mainly in the characters' reflections and relations, built around abrupt but dispersed gun-toting scenes. The action, when it happens, is realistic, fast-paced and brutal, with the audience being drawn into the intensity of the real-time gore scenes, and being left to piece together what they just witnessed in the blink of an eye.
Credit must go to Mortensen for accurately playing a character caught between two personalities and two lives. The viewers clearly sense the hurt Tom is going through as he protects his family both from danger and from being hurt by the truth. Yet, at the same time, the no-more-Mister-Tom-Stall attitude challenges this sympathy and simultaneously questions the safety of the family.
The changing relations between the characters as the plot develops are well played throughout, with raw emotions and gritty realism making the acting believable. For the whole length of the film, Mortensen oozes the 'normality' his character needs to gain the audience's sympathy. Bello is fantastic as the wife in doubt, and performs her role with a certain vulnerability that gives her character importance and appeal. It must be said, though, that her script is rather straightforward and narrow.
Ed Harris also brilliantly stars in the rather short-lived role as Fogarty, the man with the key to Tom's past, in a quirky and eerie role, suited to his acting image and his make-up in film. William Hurt makes an unexpected appearance (one to watch out for) in a simultaneously hilarious but dangerous role.
The biggest failing with this film is, in my opinion, the way the storyline is adapted to the film. Although the plot contains a few twists, it is all somewhat predictable, and the intro and the ending leave some refinement to be desired. A little more attention to detail and a tiny bit more unpredictability would have gone a long way to make an already very good film great. Other than that, A History of Violence is a recommended film, with very engaging acting and a satisfying plot.
