Yay Netflix! I seriously don't know what we'd do out here without it. After a particularly trying week at work (yeah, I don't want to even BEGIN to go into it!), I actually had a
whole day to relax yesterday. You may not realize how exciting it is to have a whole day off, but it was really wonderful because my phone battery died too, so I didn't even have phone calls interrupting me! Unintentional, but a welcome break - lots of reading, a movie or two, actual
rest. Wonderful. :)
The movie we watched (well, one of them) was
A History of Violence. So, here goes:
Simple plot, actually. Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is a normal guy with a normal life, two normal children and a normal wife (Maria Bello). He lives in a small town, and runs the local diner. Everything moves quietly and ordinarily in his life, until one night two thugs attempt to rob his diner. Tom defends his diner and patrons, defeating the violent robbers like he had years of practice. He becomes a local hero, bringing upon himself a great deal of unwanted publicity. This marks a turning point in Tom's life, as the coverage brings more unwanted guests to Tom's diner. Some very suspicious men, led by Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris), show up, claiming that Tom is not Tom and he is in fact one Joey Cusack, a particularly violent hit man with the Philadelphia mob. A game of cat and mouse ensues, with Tom maintaining his innocence, while trying to protect his family from men who believe him to be someone else.
This would be a good sort of movie to write a term paper on - how violence permeates lives, how inescapable it is, how society sees "good" and "bad" violence. It's unsettling, because if you let it, this is more than a thriller, but a movie that can make you think, and about topics you would rather gloss over in your mind. A review on imdb said that the director, David Cronenberg, enjoys creating disturbing situations and imagery, and wants to get under your skin and to stimulate your mind on as many levels as he can. Like with most attempts at this goal, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I'd say that this would be one that works.
The story is the violence that enters this family's life (and was perhaps already there), and it is told through the dynamics of the family itself. What makes this work is the cast. The acting is AWESOME. Makes the movie totally worth a view, even if this sort of story isn't quite up your alley. Viggo Mortensen and Mario Bello are great as the leads. There is a nice chemistry between them, and both are just so talented. You watch their reactions, and feel that you are watching real reactions to the events unfolding. Mortensen, too, is capable of displaying the power and force of Tom's darker side - such an underrated actor. Ed Harris plays a wonderful villain, not too overdone, either. He is nicely threatening, a subtle sort of menace. William Hurt was in basically 1 scene, and earned an Oscar nomination for his work - says something, right? And Ashton Holmes, who plays Tom's son Jack, is worth keeping an eye out for in the future!
(Good actors, but silly actors too - According to
imdb, Viggo Mortensen stated in an interview, that during the shooting of the first bar scene with Ed Harris he could not stop laughing, and as a result, the scene had to be re-shot several times. Due to Viggo Mortensen's behaviour Ed Harris completed the scene without pants; he only wore his underwear, yet this cannot be seen as the bar table impedes our view. Thus, Viggo Mortensen had to act seriously while Ed Harris was not wearing any pants, and this is the scene that is used in the movie.)
I was a little surprised by the graphic nature of the movie. Not the violence, honestly (can't expect something too tame from a movie titled "A History of Violence") but there were some very graphic sex scenes as well (well, two). They weren't gratuitous, though, just graphic, and a little unsettling. Both scenes were between Tom and his wife, Edie, one before the robbery, and one after Carl and the others arrive. The scenes really depict how things have changed between them, how the suspicion and violence and such have permeated their lives. Very effective scenes, actually.
The story, though, reminded me a little of Hitchcock (well, Hitchcock with graphic sex and violence). It was very nicely paced, and definitely suspenseful. The little scenes, the quiet touches, I think were what reminded me of Hitchcock.
Overall: 5 of 5. Beautiful acting and nicely handled direction turn a simple story into a very entertaining movie. Definitely worth a view if you enjoy a good thriller. Makes me want to see Eastern Promises even more (same director working with Viggo Mortensen again). :)
SPOILER!!
I LOVED the last scene of the movie. So much expressed, and not a word said. Tom returns from Philadelphia to his family, uncertain of where his life now stands. The way the family welcomes him back - all the little things in the scene showing that the family ties may need some work, some reconstruction, but are there to be saved. Hope in spite of everything. The facial expressions on Jack and Edie, and especially Tom are spot on, and sooooo expressive, more than anything the script could have added. Beautiful scene.
