"Not worth the price of admission" - a review by pearlyA History of Violence is an odd and unexpected film. What it boils down to is that it is unsatisfying for a number of reasons. Firstly, its story doesn't ring true. Secondly, the character's actions don't ring true. These two things may or may not be the same issue - I'm not sure.
Tom (Viggo Mortensen) and Edie Stall (Maria Bello) are a happily married couple in a small country town. Things are ticking along nicely for them - just a regular sort of life. That is, until the day that Tom's diner is held up by an armed robber, and Tom performs some amazing acrobatics to save his customers and apprehend the bad guy. Is Tom really just an every day diner worker, or does he have a secret and unusual past?
The outcome is quite clear from the beginning. And with some films, that's okay. It doesn't matter if you know where you're headed, because it's the journey that's the fun part. But not with A History of Violence. Its plot is stilted and unbelievable, and both the violence and sex scenes seem gratuitous. Nothing meshes together well, and the end result is disappointing.
A History of Violence is mediocre at best, and pretty unmemorable. Yawn. | 
