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A History of Violence (2005)
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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. LF
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| Contains swearing, violence. |
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Tell us what you think
Email us at rtfilmcomments@bbc.co.uk to tell us what you think of this film. Your comments may appear in Radio Times magazine.
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Running time
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91min
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Country of origin
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US / Ger
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Genre
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Thriller
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Original language
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English
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Screenplay
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Josh Olson, from the graphic novel by John Wagner, Vince Locke
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Theatrical distributor
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Entertainment
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UK cinema certificate
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18
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UK cinema release date
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September 2005
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| awards information |
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Award |
Category |
Name |
Nominee/Winner |
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| Academy 2005 |
Actor in a Supporting Role |
William Hurt |
Nominee |
| Academy 2005 |
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published) |
Josh Olson |
Nominee |
| British Academy Film Awards 2005 |
Best Screenplay (Adapted) |
Josh Olson |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2005 |
Best Motion Picture Drama |
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Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2005 |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama |
Maria Bello |
Nominee |
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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