The Spectrum

Issue date: 10/6/05 Section: A & E

Media Credit: AP Photo / Takashi Seida,New Line Productions Director David Cronenberg, center, setting up a shot on the set with Viggo Mortensen, right, and the crew during filming in Canada of New Line Cinemas "A History of Violence.

"A History of Violence" is an eye opening and interesting view of how violence can rip apart even the strongest of bonds. The film takes you on a twisted journey that will have you guessing the entire time and gives no hints about the jaw-dropping finale.

Viggo Mortensen stars as Tom Stall, a small town diner owner who finds himself in the middle of a media frenzy when he single handedly kills two men who are attempting to rob his restaurant. Shortly after being dubbed a hero on the evening news, Tom is visited by Fogarty (Ed Harris), who claims that Tom is actually a man named Joey Cusack. According to Fogarty, Cusack worked for the mob where he left some unfinished business.

"I thought it was really interesting how the film showed how the Stall family changed a great deal because of the violence that is brought into their lives," said Andrew West, junior, Monmouth Beach, N.J.

Indeed, we can see throughout the movie that the once deeply loving and trusting relationship that existed between Tom and his wife Edie (Maria Bello), begins to deteriorate after finding out that her husband may not be the man he claims to be.

The effects of violence are shown through the experiences of Jack, the 15-year-old son of Tom and Edie. Ashton Holmes does a terrific job portraying an outcast high school student who ultimately turns to violence to fend off a bully. While at the beginning of the movie Jack was able to laugh off the tormentor we see that he is lured in by the easy solution that violence appears to guarantee.

"The whole idea of this man who may or may not be trying to escape his violent past and how it effects his small town life really kept me interested," said Luke Bradley, junior, Reading, Mass.

Director David Cronenberg does a spectacular job keeping the audience guessing throughout the entire movie, even to the end. He doesn't give away any hints as to where this story is going.

Instead of relying on the old Hollywood cliché of having the story end with our main characters living happily ever after, the audience is left with a family that will never be the same again. The film ends with an uneasy sequence of events that leads the audience to believe that this is not the happy ending that they were led to believe.

If you're looking for a popcorn flick to keep your eyeballs entertained for an hour and a half then this is not the film for you. However, if you are looking for a drama that will leave you pondering its end for the rest of the night then this may be exactly what your looking for.

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