A History of Violence

Although he plays it surprisingly straight for once, director David Cronenberg nevertheless brings a dry wit and a satirical edge to this dark thriller. Life is sweet as apple pie for local diner owner Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen, smartly tweaking his noble-hero persona), his wife Edie (Maria Bello, wholesome yet sexy) and their regulation two kids. But when Tom becomes a media hero after preventing a hold-up, a disfigured thug (Ed Harris) surfaces with henchmen in tow. Insisting Tom is his old Mob buddy "Joey" from Philadelphia, he manages to cast doubt even in Edie's mind, creating a central "is-he-or-isn't-he" mystery that's deliciously teased out. Once that question is solved, the film sags slightly, but it perks up again in the final act thanks to a ripe comic turn from William Hurt. The violence comes in small but brutal bursts - the closest Cronenberg comes here to the horror that made his name in such films as The Fly.