I watched A History of Violence last night, which was one of the most disturbing and hectic movies I’ve seen in a while. Viggo Mortensen is always a pleasure to watch, as a bad guy or a goodie – in this case though, the line blurs to such an extent that he starts off as the classic all American family man and ends up as someone you would not want to cross. It’s seldom I am affected by a movie, but this movie really got to me… it’s a thinking movie, one that will stay with you for a while to come.
Kicking ass and taking numbers
Viggo plays Tom, an average guy in a small town. One day in his diner, he shoots and kills two robbers and becomes a huge hero overnight. The repercussions of his actions soon unleash a hornet’s nest however, and things soon become very pear shaped indeed. Eventually, Tom has to reveal to his family his true nature, and has to confront his past to protect the present life he has built.
This is not a happy movie, nor is it a funny one. The violence is graphic and unsettling, and there are some pretty awful scenes. Ed Harris as Irish mafia dude Fogherty is brilliant, with a hectic scar and all. I have to admit that I’ve a bit of a closet fan, and I think he’s pretty hot for an old dude – not so much here though. William Hurt plays the brother of Tom’s former self, and is also rather brilliant.
Ed Harris: menacing (but still something about him, scar and all!)
But of course it is Viggo who makes this movie. His character is flawed in many ways, and so undeniably human in his complexity and layers – good family man on one side, ruthless killer on the other. The way he ‘takes care’ of things would be quite awe-inspiring, if it weren’t so chilling. There are some scenes that had me covering my eyes, and many others that had me gaping in sheer omgness of it all.
Overall, it is a brilliant movie and I highly advise giving it a watch if you can handle the violence. But I won’t lie, this movie is disturbing and upsetting on many levels. Watch with caution, and be prepared to be shocked.
I too enjoyed this movie
I watched it a couple years ago so its not fresh in my memory, but I remember thinking it started off quite well, I liked the action, no film could ever be too violent for me, so I didnt find any parts disturbing etc. If my memory is telling me the truth then I think I found the wife irritating.
Yes, the wife was totally annoying – crying and freaking out at every turn, tres American!
I don’t know why this movie got to me, have seen more violent ones but somehow it just really was a notch above the average guts and gore fest.
Very good move indeed though, phew! And yes, the beginning was done very well!