History Of Violence

I just watched History of Violence last night--remember, I have kids, so don't blame me if I'm just getting around to it. I was pleasantly surprised with this movie. First, I had no idea what it was about; in fact, I didn't even read the jacket summary, just popped it in the player and let it rip.

** Spoiler Alert **

It starts with a pair of psychopathic killers checking out of a motel by eliminating the entire staff, thus relieving themselves of financial liability. Then we pan to a fine, upstanding, well-adjusted family in the Midwest, doing really swell together; as in, "Gee Wally, mom and dad sure are groovy." At this point I was certain that the killers would roll into town and terrorize family and friends for two hours before finally being taken down before the credits roll. No sir. The hero Tom, known only as Vigo by all my romance writing friends, a heretofore modern Ward Cleaver, takes care of these two assholes with eerily efficient dispatch.

Ok, now what? And that's just it, there is plenty more, and still more twists. Safe to say, I had no idea what was going to happen next. I thought I did a few times, but the story kept bending away from expectation.

One thing I will say, William Hurt did not deserve an Oscar nomination for his role. He was good, but he was no Joe Peschi in Goodfellas.

Oh, and I saw The Forty Year Old Virgin too. What a refreshing comedy it was too. It was typical in some aspects--the whole friends giving bad relationship advice thing--but the story didn't stay focused on those aspects for too long, where other movies of it's type make such inanities the central plot. The actors were fresh and hilarious, and the banter between the players was combative and tense, but with underlying affection. A lot of fun, if not a little too long.