A History of Violence (DVD)

A History of Violence (2005) starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris. "A History of Violence" lacks one thing, and that's a protagonist we can root for. Mortensen, as a small-town cafe owner, seems to fill the bill at first, but what the film reveals about his past and about his true nature make him someone undeserving of sympathy. While the unfolding of the film is fascinating and is executed with great skill, there is, ultimately, no one to cheer for. ... On the other hand, the movie has the structure of a classic Western: A man with a violent past tries to go straight, but events transpire which force him to deal with bad guys who won't leave him alone. On that level, it is satisfying. Grade: B-