Ask him, Edie...ask him how come he's so good at killing people.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

For some reason or another I tend to have a soft spot for David Cronenberg. I am a huge fan of The Fly, Videodrome and a Scanners fanatic. But most of these films are just cult classics with very few being recognized as the pieces of art that they are. But Cronenberg, whose films have been rifled throughout all the 70s, 80s and 90s, has been scarce in the new millenium. He has only directed three films in the 2000s: Spider with Ralph Fiennes, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. Spider was a well recieved movie but has faded into obscurity like so many of his other films. His two latest though, A History of Violence and Eastern Promises have not. Eastern Promises was nominated for countless numbers of awards and Viggo Mortensen, the lead actor was nominated for a Best Actor oscar. A History of Violence has stood out though, making the top 10 lists of all time for many critics. Its on the AFIs recent top 100 films poll and has won countless numbers of awards.

But why is Cronenberg such a household name now? Its because of this movie "A History of Violence." Based on a graphic novel by John Wagner (creator of Judge Dredd) and written by Josh Olson it follows the story of Tom Stall, a normal family man. He lives in a small rural town, has a wife and two kids, he owns and works at a diner and lives the simple American dream. One day however it goes awry and two killers come in and try to rob the place. Tom, in a heroic act kills both of them in a matter of seconds. While called a hero by some, this act of violence brings up a dangerous past and hidden demons that should have just stayed hidden.

This film is brilliantly made. It shows a realistic depiction of violence and its consequences on people. Viggo Mortensen is totally believable as Tom Stall, Maria Bello is great as his wife Edie and Ed Harris and William Hurt are great in their roles as the villains. Hurt even was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars.

Its a great movie with a great set up, wonderful symbolism, realistic depictions of violence, great acting and its extremly fun to watch. I know leave you with the robbery scene, the one that will best give you the idea whether you want to watch this film or not:

MY VERDICT: OWN IT