Saturday, October 08, 2005
a history of violence
verdict: a must see
slow. serious. classy. top-notch story and direction. david cronenberg fans out there would appreciate his work. his movie captures a smooth mix of violence, love and emotion. viggo mortensen was good in the role, but certainly not the best choice for lead actor. the other actors (especially the kids) did a splendid job, and though they didnt speak much, added a whole lot of meaning to their characters.
excellent editing and screenplay, and some of the best killing scenes i've seen in a long time. im not talking 'kill bill' or 'sin city' kind of comic-graphic-blood-fountain kind of violence. this is the oh-my-God-i-cant-believe-i-saw-that kind of violence. i'd best describe it as 'superb follow through'. while other violent movies depict a punch to the face resulting in a follow-through that is either blurred or not focused on (the guy's face would move away so you cant see how it hurt him), cronenberg brings you the real deal --- every puch, kick and jab is followed-through with how it *hurts* the victim. real blood. real fractures. real pain.
the fight scenes arent the only graphic ones in the movie. the two sex scenes between the protagonist and wife are explicitly done, finely shot, and add that surreal carnal touch to the story (apparently the actors literally got bruises from the retakes!).
this isnt your lie-on-the-couch-relaxed movie, and needs an adult mind to appreciate. but definitely one that you wouldnt forget for a long time.
slow. serious. classy. top-notch story and direction. david cronenberg fans out there would appreciate his work. his movie captures a smooth mix of violence, love and emotion. viggo mortensen was good in the role, but certainly not the best choice for lead actor. the other actors (especially the kids) did a splendid job, and though they didnt speak much, added a whole lot of meaning to their characters.
excellent editing and screenplay, and some of the best killing scenes i've seen in a long time. im not talking 'kill bill' or 'sin city' kind of comic-graphic-blood-fountain kind of violence. this is the oh-my-God-i-cant-believe-i-saw-that kind of violence. i'd best describe it as 'superb follow through'. while other violent movies depict a punch to the face resulting in a follow-through that is either blurred or not focused on (the guy's face would move away so you cant see how it hurt him), cronenberg brings you the real deal --- every puch, kick and jab is followed-through with how it *hurts* the victim. real blood. real fractures. real pain.
the fight scenes arent the only graphic ones in the movie. the two sex scenes between the protagonist and wife are explicitly done, finely shot, and add that surreal carnal touch to the story (apparently the actors literally got bruises from the retakes!).
this isnt your lie-on-the-couch-relaxed movie, and needs an adult mind to appreciate. but definitely one that you wouldnt forget for a long time.
