Review of A History of Violence (2005) by Do You Even Jay C — 01 Feb 2014

*THE OFFICIAL BETTER THAN JUNO SEAL*.

UPDATE!!! Upon further thought, my score has decidedly lower, mainly cause the story wasn't off the chain amazing, but this film is still entertaining and thought provoking.

HOLY FUCK!!!! Never have I been amazed by a film like this. I just don't go around throwing positive reviews around, let alone a 9/10, but I've never been as captivated by a film as much as a History of Violence. David Fucking Cronenberg has left me in complete and utter awe. I was never fond of his films, such as Cosmopolis (Ewww Robert Pattinson?), Eastern Promises, or even the Fly. However, A History of Violence transcends those films, but it makes a mark. Of course, my score will probably change due to the fact that I'm still in awe after finishing it 5 minutes after writing this review. History of Violence is not just any regular masterpiece.....It's one of the few films that leaves you thinking well after it's finished. Definitely a must see for fans of deep character studies, thoughtful movies, and it even has a few fight scenes for the ones who are a little slow.

The film is about a normal, average joe, named Tom Stall, played wonderfully by Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings trilogy, Eastern Promises). He's a normal man who owns a diner, and has a wife who is a lawyer. However, during a robbery at his diner, Tom goes full on John Rambo, killing both robbers, who were two very wanted criminals. Later on, he is praised as a hero by everyone across the nation. This gives him national attention, which causes Tom to feel very uncomfortable. To get back to his regular life, he shuns the media. Just as it seems to work, Tom is approached by a man, who believes Tom did him some harm in the past, but his name was Joey. He threatens Tom and his family, and let's say....It's nothing short of epic. It's based on a graphic novel, which is now on my radar of books to read. And....well, we have one of the greatest cinematic experiences ever.

The thing I love most about History is that it's violence actually means something. When Tom kills the two robbers, it's symbolic of the start of a downward spiral. Also, before someone complains about the fact that I didn't like Only God Forgives for symbolism, this film has an actual plot though it's not that strong, with amazing characters. Tom, while a seemingly normal man, is definitely a broken man. Everything from the poster reveals the slightest hint of insanity within Tom. When he easily takes out the criminals, we see a glimpse of Tom's true side, a psychotic man. Cronenberg doesn't spoon feed us the details of Tom's change. Most of which is handled through Tom's interaction with his family before and after the robbery. There is a sex scene early in the film, and it's pretty tame. Then, after the robbery, we see Tom have much more violence sex (Okay, I think I'm over analyzing it).

However, a huge personality change is noticed when Tom confronts his son after getting suspended. This leads to a huge argument, with Tom hitting his son. Tom has fully turned into his past self. Cronenberg implies here that no matter what you do, how well you do it. You can't escape your past, which is a constant theme. Cronenberg easily makes Tom, or Joey (his past self), a much more complex character than anything Refn did with Julian in Only God Forgives. Rather than posting a bunch of random scenes like Refn did, Cronenberg's hold value to what exactly Tom has become, or rather, is. Many questions raced through my mind as to what Cronenberg's message was. Do we decide who we are? or Are we born the way we are? Cronenberg implies that a little of both is in us to decide what we are and are truly capable of.

Okay, even if I don't go into analysis of the complexity of Tom/Joey (The past self). I can tell you that this film is well rounded. It's excellently shot by Croneberg and even has high entertainment value. Oh, and Viggo Mortensen......This guy can act. I always knew he was a great actor, mainly cause he was the shining spot in all his films. From Nikolai Luzhin in Eastern Promises to Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, he's had a profound effect on both film, even though LoTR and Eastern Promises weren't great films. However, here, he's at his best. He fucking got snubbed by the Academy so badly this time. This is proof that the Academy doesn't know shit. He plays Tom with no restraints. It's amazing how he handled this character. In a lesser actor's hands, Tom would have came off rather one-dimensional and boring. However, Mortensen plays him with the right amount of unhinged fear and it makes Tom a much more interesting person. What lies behind that mask he calls a face?

Overall, my god, I'm still reeling over in love with this film. I will make it my mission to find the Blu Ray and buy it, no matter what the cost is (Except $35, like John Tyler did). A History of Violence is like layer cake (not the film, but the cake). It has a very simple beginning, feeling like the start of an action film. Then, as the film progresses, the plot thickens and Tom's veil has been ripped off. For those who enjoy deep character studies or for those who like their film with a little ambiguity to it, this film is amazing. However, I'll have to retract my statements to the lesser minded folk. Stay away from this. Sure, there are some nice "action" scenes, but you'll be bored with the constant talking. Just stick to your Avengers or Iron Man 3, and whatnot. However, for everyone with at least half a brain, this film will please, and I'd love to discuss what you loved/hated about this film.

9/10.