Fridae

Certainly one of the best films of the year, A History of Violence
is directed by Canadian genius David Cronenberg. His name alone
makes art film lovers tremble with ecstasy. Over the past three
decades, he has made some amazingly inventive films like Naked
Lunch, Videodrome and Crash.

His new drama, A History of Violence, is another sterling
addition to his resume. What's unusual about his latest outing is
that there is nothing radically bizarre like typewriters with vaginas
(Naked Lunch) or men with vaginas on their stomachs (Videodrome)
in it.

Instead, the story is set in an ordinary town in Indiana where
happily married couple Tom and Edie Stall (Viggo Mortensen and Mario
Bello) run a small restaurant. One day, a pair of robbers shows
up at the joint, forcing Tom to resort to violence in order to defend
his place of business.

But does an act of killing simply end there? Or does it perpetuate
a cycle of violence that hurts other people - not just the perpetrators
and victims? The film is a compelling meditation on the culture
of violence in America, and how blood on your hands stays with you
long after you've washed it off.

Thought-provoking and gut-wrenching, this film is compulsory viewing
for any thinking fag/dyke/bi/trannie.