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Tom Stalls (Viggo Mortensen, taking a vulnerable leap from Middle Earth hero Aragon in The Lord of the Rings
trilogy) is Mr. Small Town. In an unextraordinary town he runs a boring
little diner where regulars swap stories with counter staff that only
regulars and counter staff would laugh at. Somewhere between a field
and a road that spits up gravel when you drive on it is his home, a
cozy could-be-B &B that he shares with his wife (Maria Bello)
teenage son and golden curly-haired daughter. It's sweet. It's
tongue-bitingly cheesy. It's picture perfect. But the fun starts when
two thugs looking for some quick cash pick Stalls' Diner.
Tom disposes of them with the brutal expertise of
a smart bomb. The town is a bit surprised at Tom's swift reaction to
violence with even grander violence, but are mostly proud and so soon
settle back in their yokel ways. Balance is achieved. But when a trio
of higher scale thugs comes calling on the diner, claiming Tom is
actually a certain former colleague with a gift for ending lives, his
identity comes into question. So begins a series of vivid encounters
with bad men and blood that overlap this peaceful community like
asbestos on whipped cream. Tom unravels little by little under the
pressure of the accusations and the possible danger this new world can
inflict on his family. Is Tom who he says he is, or a former ruffian
hiding out in plaid work-shirts?
It feels real. Or at least A History of Violence
leaves you feeling like you think you'd feel in a violent situation.
Tense. Exhilarated. Frozen. In short...Whoa Bessie. Not that people
haven't been killed on film before, but when someone dies in a
Cronenberg film, the reaction is tangible (recall The Fly's vomit amputations, Scanners'
cranial eruptions). Your viscera scrambles for a darker hole to hide in
while your arms involuntarily twitch in disgusto-fascinating
reaction.
In History,
the feeling is abundant. Cronenberg layers the story in several parts,
each one ending somewhat before you'd expect, each one taking Tom to a
higher and more challenging level of his "abilities." And as expected,
all the while testing his place as his family's leader and father
figure. This could be where the story really wants to make its point:
the rippling effects of violence and its mercilessness against all it
touches. But it's almost impossible. Many of the situations and
dialogue are so simplistic they border on farce. When we first see Tom
and his family, he's just come to his daughter's bedside after she's
had a nightmare. He comforts her in his kid soothing voice (and seems
to keep it in every scene after).... then the son comes in and does the
same.... then the mother. Soon they're all surrounding her in the same
golly-gee shot. It's so white bread wholesome it's laughable, as is a
minor story involving Tom's son and a school bully. In the end, it
waters down any sympathy you might have for the survival of this
family, but not Tom. He's a likable innocent from the start, even later
when he's stomping on necks and pounding noses into the skulls behind
them. The "peaceful" moments seem amateur and awkward, but their
contrast with the film's violence is amazing, and not easily
forgettable.
Cronenberg makes some very watchable choices in History,
many of them seeming to ride a parallel course with Tarantino's
signature use of comedy and bloodshed. But whereas Tarantino's shtick
is now expected and delivered on cue in his work, Cronenberg prefers to
unnerve the viewer by keeping it all in question. His worlds are normal
enough to feel comfortable lounging in, with just enough jitter to
arouse suspicion. In the case of History's
wholesomeness, Cronenberg challenges the viewer to ask himself or
herself, “How am I supposed to react to this? Should I laugh? Is
it appropriate? It seems funny, but something's not right....”
Which is usually where he swats you from your blindside. It's a bumpy
ride but I'll take it any day.
EXTRAS
Some good DVD extras : several comprehensive making-of and
behind-the-scenes style featurettes, and most interestingly, a Cannes
video diary.
Conclusion:
Movie 90% Extras: 65%
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