Cringe-worthy Cinema.

So I got to watching A History of Violence today. This is the type of picture that you should watch alone with all the lights on or have a significant other to cuddle up to and hold you while you gasp. So don't worry since there is an odd singledom in the air I had the shades open and all the lights on.

This was a unique one. At first I liked it. It has a slow vibe. Then in the close of the opening scene it makes you gasp and cover your mouth at its boldness. The opening credits claim it to based on a graphic novel and graphic it was. The first mainstream picture to feature a 69 sex scene, violence against small children, graphic depiction of men dying by means of having their noses jammed into their brains. I'm not even going to kid you it was stomach churning at times even for someone who grew up in a society desensitized to violence. Yet the story is what keeps you. Unlike other graphic novels where its heavy on the graphic but at the end you go: "Wait where was the novel story to it?" this one actually had a very interesting purpose. There is kind of this trifecta story line going all relating to the effects of violence in relation to family. You have the family of Tom Stall and how their lives are rattled by Tom's violent past. Then there is the brother relationship and the role violence plays in getting ahead. Then you have the organized crime family we are all very familiar with from the Sopranos. In each there is a taste of violence...violence as protection...violence as power....violence as punishment and then the repercussions of that. More in-depth there are just some great character actors propelling this piece, Viggo, Maria, Ed I mean wow. Ed Harris is just such a force I really can't even think of a bad movie the man has made and I'm open to debate that any day.
At times I didn't want to keep watching this but the story really keeps you there which is why this is a movie of substance. I don't know what genre to classify it in though which is one of the other things I love about it. Its not really a date rental, its got some action, some drama but its really not for anything but thinking. Definitely worth the rental fee.