A History of Violence

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  • A History of Violence

    Good performances from Vig and esp. Bello.

    Otherwise... a little undercooked. With some unintentional laughs to boot.
    "I ask every producer I meet if they need TV specs they say yeah. They all want a 40 inch display that's 1080p and 120Hz. So, I quit my job at the West Hollywood Best Buy."
    - Screenwriting Friend

  • #2
    Re: A History of Violence

    It's a very compelling one-sheet. Other than that, I don't know.

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    • #3
      Re: A History of Violence

      I will agree that the poster was very well shot. Simple yet imaginative.
      Drew you in. Film not quite as good as the early festival reviews would lead one to believe. Worth a look nonetheless.
      "I ask every producer I meet if they need TV specs they say yeah. They all want a 40 inch display that's 1080p and 120Hz. So, I quit my job at the West Hollywood Best Buy."
      - Screenwriting Friend

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      • #4
        Re: A History of Violence

        I flipped through the graphic novel it was based on and judging from the trailer and the comic, they kept to the graphic novel as best as they could, almost using it as story boards.

        Looks interesting.
        R.K. Bentley
        My Blog, My Design Studio
        "Little hand says it's time to rock an' roll." - Hot Fuzz.

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        • #5
          Re: A History of Violence

          Nice job from Viggo and Maria Bello.
          The kid who played the son was awful and William Hurt was terribly miscast.
          I enjoyed the tense first two-thirds of this film but then it fell apart. I did think the very last scene was a nice touch but other than that, the final act took me out of an otherwise compelling film. I just wish it had gone in some other direction. I'm sure this was true to the novel, but IMO it didn't work in the film.

          This isn't the Howard Johnson's.

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          • #6
            Re: A History of Violence

            I agree about the first two thirds, wn. after that, hurt's character turned it into a black comedy almost. everybody was laughing in the theatre he was so miscast. i already knew viggo had the chops. i didn't think the kid was awful. seemed to me he was just playing an outcast. and bello -- marvelous. i tell ya, halle berry does not get enough credit fior reigniting the full frontal thing among known actresses.
            "I ask every producer I meet if they need TV specs they say yeah. They all want a 40 inch display that's 1080p and 120Hz. So, I quit my job at the West Hollywood Best Buy."
            - Screenwriting Friend

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            • #7
              Re: A History of Violence

              Maria Bello is so fantastic. Why don't more people know who she is?
              ~* Kelsey *~

              http://kelseytalksaboutmovies.blog.com/

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              • #8
                Re: A History of Violence

                Overall, I was satisfied with this film. Thought the early scenes with Maria and Vigo were a little shaky but got better later on. Cronenberg should do more takes. John... err... William Hurt was dreadful. Joey's skills were a little too good for a mobster, I doubt a Delta soldier could do what he did in Richie's office. Nice use of exit wounds to show the effects of violence.
                Last edited by Animus Zaphodius; 10-01-2005, 04:27 PM.

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                • #9
                  Re: A History of Violence

                  I thought it started off rather compelling, but then it turned into a mostly by the numbers mob movie. When his brother called, I knew that he was going to have to kill everyone in order to go back to the simple life.

                  I don't understand why so many critics are loving the movie and describing it as a reflection or allegory of violence in society. Yeah, I get the idea that violence must sometimes be used for certain reasons but they're treating it like it's the Second Coming. Am I missing something?

                  What really shocked me were the two sex scenes. I can't believe that the MPAA let him get with actually showing his head between her legs, flipping her over for a 69, and (later) the violence of the stair sex scene, where the violence actually turned her on.

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                  • #10
                    Re: A History of Violence

                    There's a lot more to this film than meets the eye. There are gaps--periods of time during which we don't see or hear what he says to his wife, especially just before he leaves for Philly--so that when he returns at the end we realize that his family are all accomplices now. He's changed, and so have they. It's all in the eyes.

                    It's an intelligent picture which really makes the audience connect the dots in a subtle way.

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                    • #11
                      Re: A History of Violence

                      John Hurt was dreadful.
                      He's not in the film.

                      This isn't the Howard Johnson's.

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                      • #12
                        Re: A History of Violence

                        William Hurt was very funny in this. "How do you fvck something like this up?" Good line. Nice little cameo.

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                        • #13
                          Re: A History of Violence

                          saw it today. thought it was pretty great. loved the son, loved william hurt. works on the immediate and metaphoric levels both.

                          ****possible spoilage*****







                          the turns in the movie are essential to (re)interpreting the first half, including what appears to be bad acting and cheesy triumphant horns celebrating the 'american hero'.
                          If it can be written, or thought, it can be filmed. -- Stanley Kubrick

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                          • #14
                            Re: A History of Violence

                            FYI Cronenberg has said he didn't actually read the graphic novel till afterwards, and when he did he realized the script was pretty far from that. He is happy with the result, and the novelist doesn't seem to mind the changes, but I've heard the two stories are quite different.

                            Have to see it yet, but thought I'd post what I knew. Definitely no stairway 69 in the graphic novel. Not that graphic, I guess.
                            It's not just a forest: it's a whole bunch of different trees

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                            • #15
                              Re: A History of Violence

                              The gym class/baseball scene was laughable. Really ridiculous. Fitting, I guess, since it launched the son's transformation, which consistently had my theatre's audience chuckling.

                              Bello was fantastic. Viggo, close behind.

                              I loved the quiet aggression - it just pulsed.

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