A History of Violence

Tom and Edie Stall share a stressful moment in A History of Violence
Rented A History of Violence on Saturday night. This is easily one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. It is entirely character driven. Canadian writer/director David Cronenberg, better known for his unusual explorations of sexuality (Crash, no relation to the racial drama of the same name) and corporeal being (eXistenZ) has produced what you might call a more “normal” film in A History, except for the fact that it could hardly be called that because it’s so exceptionally well done. In the film, Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen, Lord of the Rings) — a happily married, community-respected, small business owner in a small town — is visited by two strangers who insist he is someone else, someone with a past and someone nothing like who his wife Edie (Maria Bello, Thank You for Smoking) and kids know. It’s a great film with a large amount of heart, without being saccharine. Recommended. 8.5/10.