 The Killings |
| Review Date: September 30, 2005 |
| Reviewer: MICHAEL ACUNA, Southern California United States |
Director David Cronenberg's movies glisten with a surface sheen that is always perfect. His mise en scene is often pathologically devoid of human connection or touch, though his films are always thought provoking and often scandalous in their grasp of the detritus of our lives. Is there any more beautiful movie than "Dead Ringers?" Any movie as scandalous, off-putting yet compelling as "Crash?" (the version with Rosanna Arquette and Holly Hunter).
In his terrific new film, "A History of Violence" Cronenberg has it both ways: his film features a straight forward plot that he handles with just a slight out-of-kilter quality that adds crunch and bite to the story of a man, Tom Stall (the quintessential strong silent, Gary Cooper-type, Viggo Mortensen) who, when placed in a situation that requires swift and brutal force...vomits out the internal fortitude necessary from deep inside his psyche and bowels to come up with the goods to deal with the situation. "AHOV" then, is about violence, brutality and the far reaching and ever telescoping tentacles that both exhibit as they wreak havoc on Tom, his wife Edie (the luminous Maria Bello) and his family and friends.
Cronenberg is dealing with some lofty and controversial ideas here: Kill someone and forever pay the price for that murder, whether or not the crime is justified or not. Commit violence and that violence colors everything that you are, everything that you do for the rest of your life. Once you take someone's life how much of you, the essence, the soul, the heart of you is gone also?
Viggo Mortensen's Tom Stall is strong of mind and morals, tender, vulnerable, upstanding but ultimately conflicted. Mortensen turns in a shaded performance that not only shows up Tom's soft side but also his malevolent one as well. Maria Bello, usually miss-used in her previous films is a revelation here as Edie: intelligent, accomplished, dedicated and hopelessly in love with Tom but aware that many times being in love doesn't mean you know everything about the object of that love.
"A History of Violence" is Cronenberg's "Vertigo": his version of obsession, violence and retribution told the Cronenbergian way: slanted toward the perverse...bordering on the maniacal. Don't blame Cronenberg because he is not Hitchcock, for he has learned his lessons from the master well. Blame him because he has come up with a film that is provocative and multi-layered though: one as transparent as a silk screen, just slightly out of reach...beckoning us in for a closer, scalpel-like investigation of what makes us tick, the buttons to punch to make us react and the mechanics necessary to allow us to exist.
|
Cronenberg at his masterful best
|
| Review Date: December 25, 2005 |
| Reviewer: A. Sandoc, San Pablo, California United States |
What can I say about David Cronenberg's latest work that hasn't already been said by film critics everywhere? My answer to that has to be: not much. A History of Violence will remind people that David Cronenberg is one of the more underappreciated film directors of the last 30 years and also one of its master craftsmen. Using a loose-adaptation (yet echoing some of the book's themes) of the John Wagner and Vince Locke graphic novel of the same name, Cronenberg creates a multi-layered film dissertation about the nature of violence. I will pause for a moment and say that the film also delivers as a taut, gripping, thriller that looks to ape the action-films of blockbusters past, but Cronenberg's skill as a director manages to keep the film above it's B-movie aspirations.
More well-known as the creator of eccentric and unusual fare with legions of fans and admirers in the horror community, David Cronenberg may have his most mainstream and accessible film to date since his remake of The Fly. In A History of Violence Cronenberg's existentialism continues to show as he probes through the dark and shadowy corners of human behavior and instinct. He posits a question of whether people as a whole --- no matter how saintly, well-balanced, and civilized --- secretly revels in the violence they see around them even as they denounce and feel uncomfortable around it. Some have seen this film as something of a historical commentary of the American history and how the nation itself has been shaped by its acceptance of violence and its many repercussions. I would say that those people are not far off the mark, but to compartmentalize Cronenberg's film to such a narrow focus is not fair to the film. Cronenberg deftly shows the brutality of violence and how its effect can be far-reaching and intimite at the same time.
As his past films dealt with the horror of the body politic (Shivers, Crash, The Brood, The Fly) and the nature of reality and existence (Videodrome, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, Spider, eXistenZ) Cronenberg continues these themes with this film. Despite the gore and viscera being small in comparison to his past works, History still show the carnage and horror that violent acts can perform on the frail human body. The film also points out that people as a whole deceive themselves of the true world around them in order to hold onto the ideal and the quaint. This is really put forward by the dynamic interaction between the character of Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) and his wife Edie (Maria Bello) from beginning to end. It is a testament to the excellent performances by both these actors that the audience truly believe and care for their characters on-screen. I'll have to say that this is Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello's best work to date and it would be criminal of the industry not to reward them in some way come awards season. The chemistry between these two performers is genuine, searing and very intimate. The very last can be seen in graphic detail in the two scenes of sex between the characters. One in the beginning is naughtily playful and shows how much in love the two characters still are and the second being more brutal and primal as the hidden layers of each character is slowly peeled away to show whats been hidden all along.
For an art-film masquerading as an action-thriller, A History of Violence is very deliberate in setting up each violent outburst. There's an underlying dread that permeates through each set-up. We know that something is about to happen, but its not rushed and gradually builds-up until something has to break. The violence is not your stereotypical action sequence that looks staged, but comes and goes quickly with the brutality and lethality of reality. In fact, the violence has the feel of being very intimate. Everything is up close and personal. Nothing is done from a distance and each strike and violent act painful to see, yet in all instances each scene also gets a rousing response from the audience. This is particularly evident in a scene concerning Tom Stall's teenage son dealing with a particular high school bully in brutal fashion. Everyone in this film is touched by violence in some way or another. From the very young to the very old. The final scene at the dinner table is both haunting and familiar. With all that has been going on through Tom's life and that of his family there's a sense of acceptance of the violent genie that was unleashed in the beginning and one of "life must go on" mentality.
I must say that A History of Violence has to be one of the best films I've seen since I've been watching them. For a film that is really just a revenge-thriller similar to Chan-wook Park's Oldboy, Cronenberg's latest has so many layers and depth to it that anyone who sees it are going to be tempted to talk about its themes and subtext lon after they've left the theater. Where Oldboy is like a hard kick in the gut then a devastation stomp on the neck, A History of Violence is more insidious, intimate and subversive --- like a sharp papercut just beneath the fingernail that lingers and tells one that its going to be there for awhile and there to stay. Some may end up not liking the film due to its deliberate nature or not having enough people dying in elaborately staged action sequences, but that will only show exactly what Cronenberg has been trying to show. That people nowadays have been so inured and desensitized by violence that we've come to accept it as entertainment and actually have come to yearn and need it like a drug-addict looking for their next hit. One of the best films of 2005, if not one of the best in the past decade. |
Tom Stall had the perfect life... until he became a hero.
|
| Review Date: January 13, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Georgios A. Katsaros, Korinthos,Greece |
David Cronenberg in his most mainstream film gives us the adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name.This film questions on the how far you will go to use violence to protect your family and how deep its connection with all of us.As we all know its human nature.
The film is fairly close to the graphic novel with minor little differences like for example names have been changed,also the town's name plus there are a couple of sex scenes that are not in the book.As the film starts we meet two bad guys in the middle of nowhere that cause the whole plot to unravel for Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) and his lawyer wife (Maria Bello) and his two kids Jack (Ashton Holmes) and Sarah (Heidi Hayes).While the two men are on the way to the small Indiana town that Tom lives.We see how life is in a small town and for Stall family.Its quiet, no fuss and hassels.Everyone knows everyone its most of the time a nice and quiet to live.While Tom and Eddie are ending a night in their diner that they own the two bad guys we saw in the start arrive.As they attempt to rob the place and threaten the people inside Tom in self defense kills both of them and saves the day.Now the hero,the event is all over the news.This as a event brings attention to mobster Fogarty.He believes Tom is a guy called Joey that he new from Philadelphia.This endangers the whole family.As Fogarty kind of stalks the family for Tom to reveal truth of who he really is.Is he Joey with Mafia connections or really Tom and its just a minor misunderstanding.
Every great film needs a great cast.Viggo Mortensen as Tom is one of his best roles yet.As a family man,husband and somewhat violent man Viggo is just great.Maria Bello in a great performance that will get her a Oscar nomination and already a Golden Globe nomination.Ed Harris is very good at playing the mean and stalking Fogarty.And last William Hurt.His part not that big,but its one of those performances that you just cant forget.He might get a nomination for a Oscar but its still not for sure.
This film asks the questions of what kind of history of violence do we have or anybody else has.Do you really know a another person.What person he truly is.And where is the limit of using violence to survive.And to protect those closes to you.And you can go also to the Darwinian sense the survival of the fittest.Also I cant forget even though that this film is Cronenberg's most mainstream film this does have Cronenberg touches everywhere.From the blood that has his touches for being quick,unexpected and disgusting for some people but its needed.And how he deals with characters to the fullest so we can understand them and feel in danger with them.Also the sex scenes in the film are needed to show the connection between the character's and their love and trust that they have.
On the DVD the film will be presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen,with both a English Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 tracks.Extras will include a feature commentary by director David Cronenberg,a deleted scene with commentary by director David Cronenberg, a documentary called Acts of Violence and a Violence's History: United States Version vs. International Version featurette.Ending the special features will be an Unmaking of Scene 44 featurette, a Too Commercial for Cannes featurette, and a theatrical trailer for the film.
This is one of the best films of 2005.Almost on every list of the top ten films of 2005 by critics and already nominated for many awards.This is one of Cronenberg's best films next to The Fly as his best in my opinion.Plus this a New Line Platinum Edition that tells you one thing that this DVD is going to be worth the buck. |
History Of Violence/ A Cronenberg masterpiece
|
| Review Date: December 9, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Francine Palma, Nebraska |
David Cronenberg has outdone himself with his take on a graphic novel, History of Violence. Although it does not resemble much of
the book Cronenberg has done a great job of direction and of casting this movie. Viggo Mortensen plays a small Indiana town
diner owner who along with his beautiful lawyer wife (Maria Bello) lives a quiet, satisfying life. Until he has to play hero
when thugs try to rob his diner and threaten to kill people he takes the law into his own hands and does it suprisingly well.
After he has shot the two thugs, he becomes a local hero. But there are consequences, of his new found fame. Seems like a mobster thinks he recognizes Tom (Viggo's character) to be someone else. The suspense in trying to figure out who Tom really is is thrilling and very Hitchcokian. Maria Bello
deserves an Oscar nod for her role as a frustrated loving wife,
who all of a sudden doesn't know who her husband of 20 years is.
Great performances by all. Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris and even a
small delicious part for William Hurt. |
I'm a big fan of this movie
|
| Review Date: January 26, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Stephen Broome, San Diego, CA |
In A History of Violence, Viggo Mortensen stars as Tom Stall, an everyday hard working diner owner in a small town miles away from anything of significance. After a pair of traveling criminals attempt to rob his diner however, his life changes with the ensuing media coverage and celebration of his bravery.
But was it bravery or a manifestation of the movie's title? How did a small town coffee jockey get the drop on two hardened, ruthless criminals, desperate for money? This question is asked by Carl Fogarty, who comes to town armed with two mafia musclemen and the idea that "Tom" is actually a former mob criminal from Philadelphia who owes a number of debts to the former partners he betrayed back home. The question of whether or not this past is real or imagined by the men is revealed later, but the film is about much more than that.
As expected Cronenberg's directing is outstanding. During action his scenes are framed with a sort of odd devotion to centering and stillness followed by graphic imagery of the damage done. It's not gratuitous (that's not the point) it's simply honest and direct, a sort of cold impartial presentation of violence rarely seen in movies. Of more relevance, and the real focus of the story, is Cronenberg's interest in just what the title says. Are we repulsed equally by violence that protects us? That question is answered brilliantly in the movie's final scene, a microcosm of society's falsehoods as it relates to aggression and the double standard of public morality. As a method to this end, Cronenberg refuses to give approval to anything or anyone. Tacit consent is neither judged nor explained, it simply exists in the story as a way of life for those who accept the nature of things they don't participate in. As a result, violence and passivity are given the same platform. We also analyze the generational effect of violence, how it is passed from one party to another, whether it is learned or something people simply can or cannot perform, and if it is in fact the appropriate solution to certain problems with unreasonable people. When talking stops after all the merits of violence or lack thereof seem to be in the black and white terms of "now" and that is presented flawlessly here.
The acting is outstanding throughout. Ed Harris as usual has the most magnetic presence and here is given an eye injury and an accent to draw on which is like giving Mickey Rourke his recent Sin City role. Mortensen and Maria Bello are dynamic and believable together even as their relationship undergoes transitions, and their early scenes of intimacy are not only great to watch but serve as a great foundation for the last two-thirds of the film. William Hurt appears with a performance that could've been in Miller's Crossing, a sort of fragmented mob boss that chews scenery in a very enjoyable way. Last but not least is Viddo's individual performance, a sort of blank, unreadable slate that belies a sort of honest dishonesty perfectly.
It must be said of course that this film is based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke. So when you are tempted to refer to comic books as a genre remember: this story, Ghost World, Road to Perdition and X-Men are all taken from the same source. It's a medium, not a genre.
Original review here: http://www.ess-bee.com |
|
No details are available for this product
No video reviews found for this product.
