My 2 Second Shelf Life

Five Reasons Why I Didn't Like "The History of Violence"

We watched two rented movies this weekend.
One was The History of Violence, the Cronenburg film, and Murderball , a documentary about the Canadian and US Olympic Quad Rugby Team members.

The two things that can really ruin a film for me and the mister are continuity and lack of logical sense in the storyline.

1. If we are to believe the tale that unfolds, why would Tom allow the media to photograph him and splash his face over newspapers accross the country?
If we're to believe his character, and he's not an idiot...so why?

2. Why so much media coverage for the vigilante act, but none when he brutally wipes out 3 mafia guys on his own property?

3. Gratuitous, and pointless sex scene that goes on and on. Tom's wife puts on a cheerleaders outfit and they go at it. It's not even particularly hot, it just goes on and on. Even The Mister was looking at his watch.

4. William Hurt as a mafia kigpin.
C'mon.... No really.... Gimme a break.
He comes off as kind of strange and eccentric, but sinister, scary mafia guy he is not. And he was nominated for an Oscar for this role. Pickin's must have been slim.

5. The film abruptly ends. Not so much as a by your leave. And leaves the audience (the mister and me) saying: "WTF? That's the end?"

As always, for me anyway, Cronenburg's films are interesting to watch, but don't generally make a lot of logical sense. I see clearly that he's got some sort of abstract message; besides "violence is all around us" and "people aren't who you think they are", that he's awkwardly trying to get out and doesn't quite do it for me.
If this movie was just a statement on violence and an opportunity to show gross violence, then it succeeded.
This movie was ok, but I wouldn't have bothered to rent it... if I hadn't fallen for the hype.



Murderball , on the other hand, was fantastic.
Quad Rugby looks like a brutally demanding sport, and the young men in this documentary are angry, heartbreaking, courageous, and real.
The personal stories are compelling and really drive home the facts about spinal cord injury.

I rented this one simply on the fly.
I went looking for The History of Violence.
Sometimes the spontaneous decision works out to be the better one.