A History of Violence (2005)

A History of Violence

• I bought this on Criterion a week or two ago, and it definitely sticks out as being a memorable film. It’s a really great mix of family drama and crime, and it’s not too long, either. It’s about what I was expecting, so there wasn’t anything too surprising. However, the action scenes were all fun, and they really pulled you in. The tension was nice, and you never can tell what’s about to happen, or what anyone is thinking. The story was pretty well written, but I will say this: there were some scenes that were straight goofy, and had me smiling and chuckling despite the serious tone. No shade against the cast or Cronenberg, but most of the scenes with any of the kids felt like Disney-quality content. They were just silly and a little too….odd. On the flipside, they helped create an almost dreamy mood that adds to the very mysterious element. It worked well, while still being kind of corny. A lot of the dialogue felt natural enough, though again, any scene with any of the kids was just funny. But it does feel very down to earth, like this is a film that could be about anyone, anywhere. The cast did decent, though nobody stands out as being great, except for Ed Harris, and Viggo, of course. Ed is always good, and I love his evil charm that he always seems to have. Viggo was also born for this role, because of his calm demeanor, yet in a single second, he’s a natural killer. He does just perfectly. Lastly, Howard Shore’s score was very peaceful and homey, while still having enough zing when needed. Overall, this is a good addition in the Cronenberg filmography, and though it’s not amazingly good, it’s still solid. I would recommend it to most crime/drama fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!