A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

THIS MOVIE HAS A ROLE FOR A YOUNG DAUGHTER - I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THE ROLE WAS GIVEN TO A GIRL NAMED HEIDI HAYES. I FEEL I HAVE DODGED A BULLET - I DID NOT HAVE TO SIT THRU ANOTHER DAKOTA FANNING TORTURE SESSION. DAKOTA IS THE
ALWAYS WHINING, ALWAYS CRYING, ALWAYS ANNOYING GIRL FROM MAN ON FIRE, WAR OF THE WORLDS AND A FEW OTHER MOVIES I AM LUCKY ENOUGH NOT TO RECALL AT THIS TIME.
I HAD THREE RECENT GOALS IN MY LIFE -- TO TURN 55 YEARS OLD - TO COLLECT A PENSION CHECK FROM NEW YORK CITY AND TO SEE THE CALENDAR TURN TO THE YEAR
2000 ---- SINCE ACHIEVING ALL THREE I HAVE BEEN WANDERING THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA WITHOUT PURPOSE OR MEANING TO MY LIFE.
MY NEW GOAL IS TO SEE A MOVIE WHERE DAKOTA FAILS TO SURVIVE - THAT WILL SHOW ME THAT THERE IS JUSTICE IN THE UNIVERSE. DAKOTA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS MOVIE, BUT
IF A BLOND CHILD APPEARS IN ANY MOVIE, I FEAR SHE WILL APPEAR AND HAVING BEEN SPARED HER IN THIS FILM, I FELT THE NEED TO REJOICE.
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I CAN'T RECALL A MOVIE WHERE I WAS AWARE OF SUCH GROSSLY BAD WRITING - OR ACTING 0R DIRECTION. IF ANY SCENE IN THIS PICTURE CALLS FOR AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE BY THE WIFE OR SON OF THE MAIN CHARACTER, TOM STALL, PLAYED BY VIGGO MORTENSEN, IT WILL BE CONTRIVED, PHONY AND NONSENSICAL.
IS THE WRITING THIS BAD OR THE ACTING THIS BAD OR THE DIRECTION THIS BAD? I CAN'T ISOLATE IT TO ANY ONE ELEMENT.
JUST AS MR. & MRS. SMITH HAD NO CHEMISTRY BETWEEN BRAD PITT AND ANGELINA JOLIE, SO THIS FILM HAS ALMOST NO APPROPRIATE REACTIONS BY THE WIFE AND SON TO ANYTHING GOING ON AROUND THEM.
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I RECOMMEND THIS FILM FOR THE SCENES OF VIOLENCE, NOT THE DOMESTIC MOMENTS. THE SCENES OF VIOLENCE ARE VIOLENT.
THE GREAT ED HARRIS SET THE TONE FOR ALL THAT CAME BEFORE AND ALL THAT COMES AFTER WHEN HIS CHARACTER SAID TO THE WIFE --- "You should ask Tom... how come he's so good at killing people?"

GEE, WIZ -- TOM IS DAMN GOOD AT KILLING PEOPLE. VIGGO UNDERPLAYS THIS MAN WITH A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. THE SCREEN LIGHTS UP WHEN EITHER ED HARRIS IS IN THE SCENE OR THERE IS A WEAPON NEAR VIGGO.

THE PLOT HOLES ARE DESIGNED FOR A TRUCK TO PASS THRU, BUT I CAN FORGIVE ALL TO WATCH VIGGO DO HIS THING, WHEN PRESSED INTO ACTION, ALWAYS AGAINST HIS WILL. ONE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS FILM WAS BASED ON AN ADULT COMIC BOOK -
THAT MAY BE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS I MENTIONED EARLIER.

WILLIAM HURT IS IN THE LATER MOMENTS OF THE FILM AND HIS CHARACTER IS
OVER-ACTED AND IT SEEMS AS IF HE IS PUTTING ON A SKIT FOR AN ACTORS WORKSHOP CLASS.
PLEASE, IF YOU CAN'T TOLERATE GRATUITOUS VIOLENCE, DON'T GO TO A MOVIE WITH THE TITLE THIS FILM CARRIES.