I actually watched this quite some time ago, but forgot to blog about it – only because it was not very memorable. It was Ong Sor Fen (ST) and Whang Yee-Ling (8 days) who made me watch it. What? A 5 and 4.5 star rating respectively? Must be a blow-out!

The History of Violence just gathered nominations in Best Motion Picture and Best Drama Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Maria Bello) for the 63th Golden Globe. Did I seriously miss something?

Viggo Mortensen (from Lord of the Rings) plays a small time diner boss in a small town and lives a happy and quiet life with his wife and children. But their lives are forever changed when Mortensen thwarts an attempted robbery and is lauded as a hero by the media, attracting the attention of some mobsters (William Hurt and Ed Harris) who believe he is someone else.

Commented on its raw, disturbing depiction of violence, I thought American History X had it better. Wasn’t the twist predictable? What was it? Viggo Mortensen’s silent and resilient portrayel ?

It ended with a thud, yet unresolved. I felt I had been going aimless trek to nowhere, disappointed, bewildered and expecting more.

A History of Violence – Ong Sor Fen don’t usually give 5 star, but she did!