ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies

DAVID CRONENBERG is one of the grand masters of world cinema. His personal signature is visible on every film he makes whether its the controversial ‘Crash’ (1996) or his astonishing version of fantasy classic ‘The Fly’ (1986).

His films are all about human frailty and the horrors the lurk within us, whether they take the form of illness, decay, obsession or aggression. His recent work has been a little chilly and uninviting, but the electric thriller ‘A History Of Violence’ is hugely entertaining and provocative.

Based on a graphic novel, ‘A History Of Violence’ is still a film that Cronenberg manages to make his own. It has a cracking pace, an excellent ensemble cast and a story filled with surprises, but underneath its surface dazzle is a disturbing examination of the way violent acts both repel and excite us.

Viggo Mortensen (best known as Aragorn in ‘The Lord of the Rings’) stars as Tom Stall, a decent, law-abiding man who runs a diner in the quiet backwater of Millbrook, Indiana. One night, two killers come marching into the diner, threatening violence and intimidating his staff.

The way he reacts has the media hailing him as a local hero. His wife Edie (Maria Bello) and friends are left wondering what they really know about a man they have always taken for granted.

‘A History of Violence’ is a film that constantly catches you off guard. It is like a novel where you just have to keep reading each chapter to discover what happens next. This is easily one of the best American thrillers of the year.

General release, nationwide cinemas
Director: David Cronenberg
Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, William Hurt, Ed Harris, Ashton Holmes
Screenwriter: Josh Olson, based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke
Certificate: 18
Running time: 96 mins
Country: USA
Year: 2005

© Allan Hunter, 2005