This movie didn't give me what it did as an early film devourer a handful of years ago. Since I have engaged in more films, particularly more quality films, I have found myself not immune to bad acting. Bad acting didn't exist till about 5 years ago, just after I watched this for the first time.I think this movie made it passed the radars of major critics. The reviews for the film I find very unjustified. The performance by Viggo Mortensen is extremely good as almost always, but the only other actor who provides an above decent to good performance is Ed Harris as the villain. Viggo's character, Tom Stall, has a family in a reclusive town and owns a small diner. When one day a group of people accuse him of being someone else.
Viggo was a great casting choice for the film, but unfortunately his son in the film was a dramatic over-actor with little displayed talent. There are a handful of scenes where the acting becomes broken glass, fully revealing what flaws there are.
The story is definitely an intriguing one, and it is Viggo's performance and the story which carries the film, but in order to be considered more than a successful outing at the movies, your whole ensemble needs to be together and on the same page, where this one wasn't. The sensuality in the film is also a huge speed bump. The director wants to build the relationship between Viggo and his wife but he only builds their relationship with sex. It is as if the only thing holding their love for each other together is exactly that, because that was all the director showed us. If the director decided to show us what a loving relationship might look like he might have taken his camera out from the bedroom and make the "strong" relationship believable.
In the end the speed bumps spilled my drink all over while I steered my car into an embankment. I just couldn't wait for the movie to be done, even though I didn't want to wave goodbye to Viggo's character. In a similar genre, Viggo shines much better in 'Eastern Promises', which is also sensual with scattered nudity. Viggo and nudity are something you must be aware of when you watch him perform in almost everything but Lord of the Rings. Boo to nudity and sensuality, directors just show themselves lacking skills in storytelling when they require to use it to tell a sensual story. So many more successful directors show their talent in giving us a loving and intimate relationships without having to force us to watch an overdose of sensuality.
"A History of Violence"
6.5 / 10
6.5 / 10
