THE STARS: Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris, Maria Bello, William Hurt.
THE STORY: Adapted from a graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, the film is set in smalltown Millbrook where Tom and Edie Stall (Mortensen and Bello) live with their family.
When two men pull guns at the local diner Tom is running, he refuses to be intimidated and kills both of them.
His action turns him into something of a local hero, but when two other men arrive they call him by a different name and begin reminding him of the old days they had together in Philly. The film then delves into the murky undercurrents that often afflict American society.
WHAT'S GOOD? Part-Western and part brutal film noir, David Cronenberg's A History of Violence is one of the most provocative and fascinating films for some while.
During some scenes it appears to celebrate and revel in the cinematic violence, while in others it raises questions about the same violence. The smalltown world that Tom and Edie live in is so perfect that the arrival of the oddball set of criminals seems desperately appropriate.
Ed Harris has a great time as a scarred mobster, while William Hurt brings an appropriate sense of menace.
WHAT'S BAD? It is always pretty hard to get on David Cronenberg's wavelength, and there is a niggling sense that he is simply playing with the audience.
Oddly enough there is a sense that we don't quite get enough of the supporting characters in the drama and the film in places tends to feels a little truncated.
HOW LONG IS IT? An impressive 95 mins.
FINAL VERDICT: Brutal and bloody but also quite brilliant.
-A History of Violence opens across the country on Friday September 30.