A History of Violence ****
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Ashton Holmes, Heidi Hayes
Director: David Cronenberg
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: R

Tom Stall (Mortensen) is a mild mannered man in a small town. He is a family man, and runs a diner. One day two criminals enter his diner with robbery and rape on their minds. Tom manages to get one of their guns, and kill both of them. Hailed as a hero, the media descends and Tom finds his face on the television. Enter Earl Fogaty (Harris), a thug who thinks he recognizes Tom, only he knows him as Joey Cusack, an ex-killer from Philadelphia. Fogaty comes to see Tom and "out" him for the killer that he believes Tom to be. Tom firmly denied knowing anything about this Joey Cusack and claims to never have seen Fogaty before. Fogaty is unwilling to accept Tom's casual dismissal, and begins to stalk Tom and his family.

"Violence" is an excellent movie. From a solid story to solid acting, "Violence" is top notch on all levels. The story is compelling. The uncertainty of Tom's past keeps the viewer engaged in his plight. The four main actors all give top notch performances. Mortensen gives no clue as to his characters past, portraying Tom as a man living a quiet peaceful life until confronted with violence. Maria Bello is excellent as Tom's wife, who loves and supports her husband. Harris is pure evil and menace as Fogaty. His character is not likeable in the least, and you know that he is not going to leave Tom to live his life peacefully. Finally, William Hurt gives a memorable, and at times, funny performance. You have to wait until the final third of the film to see him, but he steals the scenes he is in.

"Violence" is a must see movie. It will make you think about what makes a person who they are, and how their identity is defined. And, can that change? I highly recommend "A History of Violence".