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Movies / Upcoming / A History of Violence
A History of Violence

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A History of Violence (2005)

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Reviews Counted:195

Fresh:169

Rotten:26

Average Rating:7.9/10

Consensus: A History of Violence raises compelling and thoughtful questions about the nature of violence.

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Thriller, Comic Book, Theatrical Release

US Box Office: $31,408,459

Synopsis: Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is living a happy and quiet life with his lawyer wife (Maria Bello) and their two children in the small town of Millbrook, Indiana, but one night their idyllic existence... Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is living a happy and quiet life with his lawyer wife (Maria Bello) and their two children in the small town of Millbrook, Indiana, but one night their idyllic existence is shattered when Tom foils a vicious attempted robbery in his diner. Sensing danger, he takes action and saves his customers and friends in the self-defense killings of two-sought-after criminals. Heralded as a hero, Tom’s life is changed overnight, attracting a national media circus, which forces him into the spotlight. Uncomfortable with his newfound celebrity, Tom tries to return to the normalcy of his ordinary life only to be confronted by a mysterious and threatening man (Ed Harris) who arrives in town believing Tom is the man who’s wronged him in the past. As Tom and his family fight back against this case of mistaken identity and struggle to cope with their changed reality, they are forced to confront their relationships and the divisive issues which surface as a result. A History of Violence is directed by acclaimed filmmaker David Cronenberg (Crash, Spider, Dead Ringers) from a screenplay by Josh Olson. The film stars Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings, Hidalgo), Maria Bello (The Cooler), William Hurt (The Village, Oscar-winning Kiss of the Spider Woman), Ed Harris (Pollack) and Ashton Holmes. The film is produced by Chris Bender and JC Spink of Benderspink (The Butterfly Effect, Monster-in-Law) with Justis Greene, Roger E. Kass and Josh Braun serving as executive producers. The motion picture shot in Toronto and in various countryside locations, including Millbrook, Ontario for 11 weeks from September through to November 19th, 2004. New Line Cinema will release A History of Violence on September 30th, 2005. The film will make its world premiere at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival in May. [More]

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, William Hurt, Ed Harris

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, William Hurt, Ed Harris, Stephen McHattie, Peter MacNeill

Director: David Cronenberg

Director: David Cronenberg
Screenwriter: Josh Olson
Producer: David Cronenberg, Josh Braun, Justis Greene
Composer: Howard Shore
Studio: New Line Cinema

[See More Credits]

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1 - 4 of 7

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Reviews for A History of Violence

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
01/15/08
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: In Film Australia | comment Comment
05/05/06
Avril Carruthers
Avril Carruthers
In Film Australia
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
03/10/06
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A tantalisingly explosive film about inner conflicts and secrets... a sublime psychological thriller in a western setting.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
03/04/06
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Impeccable formal control to match audacity is mandatory, and Cronenberg provides it

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
09/01/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion

The movie begins slowly, methodically, and builds increasingly toward a devastating climax.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
02/14/09
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

The tension builds in a slow boil, then ignites furiously when we're not quite ready for it.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
09/17/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

Shows its stuff as both suspenseful, eloquent storytelling, while giving rise to larger cultural questions connected to the entrenched institutionalization of aggression as a major means of problem solving in this country.

Full Review Source: WBAI Web Radio | comment 1 Comment
02/08/07
Prairie Miller
Prairie Miller
WBAI Web Radio

A History of Violence develops with the singleness of purpose, and the rigor, of a mathematical demonstration, one that begins with a commonly accepted truth and ends with brains spattered across the floor.

Full Review Source: Nation | comment Comment
11/11/06
Stuart Klawans
Stuart Klawans
Nation

full review in Greek

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
10/03/06
Joseph Proimakis
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses

Cronenberg's masterful, intelligent and gripping meta-thriller leaves us pondering about our enduringly perverse desire for alternative realities, in which surrogate violent alter egos run righteously and preposterously amok.

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
09/28/06
Richard Falcon
Richard Falcon
Sight and Sound

A smart, absorbing thriller

Full Review Source: Perihelion Journal | comment Comment
08/26/06
Jay Antani
Jay Antani
Perihelion Journal

A remarkably convincing examination of heroism, hero worship, and the seductive allure of villainy.

Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
05/12/06
Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker
New York Magazine

A strange David Cronenberg movie, and not in the usual audaciously morbid way. A brooding, contemplative picture that's tough, tight and masterfully controlled.

Full Review Source: MTV | comment Comment
02/07/06
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
MTV

Lo más reciente del canadiense David Cronenberg es un sólido thriller, casi de factura clásica, sobre las ramificaciones de la violencia.

Full Review Source: Uruguay Total | comment Comment
01/12/06
Enrique Buchichio
Enrique Buchichio
Uruguay Total

I have no doubt that the humor is intentional, but it serves to undercut the whole thematic conflict.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
12/15/05
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

What Mortensen does brilliantly is to keep us guessing.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
12/06/05
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent

There are elements in this film that are 100% Cronenberg (the beautiful violence we so rarely see these days, subtle weird humor), but this is not your typical Cronenberg

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Michael Ferraro
Michael Ferraro
Film Threat

See this movie -- I promise it won't be like any other movie you've ever seen, and may well change the way you look at violence in the movies.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
11/11/05
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
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Latest News for A History of Violence

September 26, 2008: Paramount Taking Child's One Shot with Olson Opens in new window
Paramount has hired "A History of Violence" screenwriter Josh Olson to pen an adaptation of Lee Child's "One Shot" novel, about "an ex-Army policeman who...gets tangled up with... More...

December 24, 2007: RT on DVD: Rush Hour 3, The Kingdom, and More!
There's action and drama to be found this week, and not just with your family at Christmas dinner. And if you couldn't make it out of town for the holidays, you're in luck; this... More...

October 02, 2007: Cory Goodman to Remake Cronenberg's Brood
You guys! Check it out! You aren't going to believe this, but...it's a news item about a remake! More...

September 20, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: Jovovich vs. Alba in Multiplex Mayhem
Jodie Foster will find herself in the middle of a catfight over the number one spot this weekend. The star of current chart-topper The Brave One will face challenges from Milla... More...

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