A History of Violence Movie Review

As the leading man in this movie, Viggo Mortensen proves he is one of today’s versatile actors.  From his earlier roles, to Aragorn, to a century-ago cowboy, to now as a small town family man with a past, he has illustrated his ability to stretch farther into what my second son always says, “imagination.”

Where can you find these crucial scenes where Viggo shines?  The action sequence when Tom confronts Fogarty on the front lawn.  I was convinced.

Another—when he arrives at the bar in Philadelphia and sits down—briefly, his face changes to an expression he would have had in the past.  Thanks to the director’s close-ups and there are many in this movie.

These two scenes are crucial because they make the transition from his two selves.

The movie is also rich in artistic details, the fun things to look for in a movie.

The quartet of Mortensen, Bello, Harris and Hurt tighten this movie.  All do an excellent job.  Harris and Hurt, who are usually the nice guys, are convincing as the bad guys, to the point that it is funny when the super rich cold bad guy finds himself in a “losing” position at the end while searching through his keys.  Lastly, the character of Bello basically asks a lot of questions.

Cronenberg talks about the “iconic Americana” (or the world, for that matter) and how in the big picture of connected things, this has “A History of Violence.”  Viggo’s character is a representation of this.

This can be considered “dark,” but the last scene shows a desire to move away from it.

Go see this movie!