A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: A History of Violence

Date Viewed: 10/8/05

Details:

Viggo Mortensen

Maria Bello

Ed Harris

William Hurt

Ashton Holmes

Director: David Cronenberg (who also did 1999's occasionally gory sci-fi eXistenZ)

Score: 1/2

The Review: Violence-laced drama, with a tinge of mystery.

Tom Stall (Mortensen) is the quiet owner-cook in a small Midwest town's neighborhood diner, who happens to foil a robbery attempt and, in the process, get the reputation as a local hero. But with this heroism comes publicity, and eventually some rather unsavory folks come visiting, and they think he's really someone else.

The score is hauntingly familiar, with a sound and mood straight from Lord of the Rings -- unsurprisingly, when you see that Howard Shore was responsible for both.

One note: this film is rated "R", and without detailing much of what happens, it richly deserves this classification.

(23-Oct-05)

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