I just finished watching History of Violence (it takes a few days to watch a movie these days; it’s almost impossible to find a two hour window to watch a movie from start to finish), so with nothing better to blog about today, here’s a review (possible spoilers!):
I loved the opening scenes of the movie. The laconic attitudes of the two “bad men” provide a riveting counterpoint to the violence they do, and you’re left wondering what part they will play in the story.
I thought Viggo was a bit wooden at first, but when the story gets going and his duality emerges he does a great job of playing what is effectively two characters. The way his accent changes at various points is very effective.
The star of this movie though is the cinematography. David Cronenberg is a master film maker, and it shows in this movie more than a lot of his others. Beautiful locations, with perfect lighting and excellent camera work. The gore and violence is a bit over the top at times, but I expected that from Cronenberg.