Walk The Line/ A History of Violence

[angry pancake]

Walk The Line.

It's about Johnny Cash. I confess I don't know much about Johnny Cash and could name maybe 1 song of his before seeing the movie (even then I knew the song because it was a NIN remake). I also have this anti country music bias. I can't stand the stuff. I don't like Joaquin Phoenix. I don't like Reese Witherspoon.

The movie is exceptional. One of the best two this year. Captivating storyline, extrememly well acted--especially by Witherspoon and Phoenix. I think it's a fairly long movie but the kind that flew by quickly. Not a lag or dull monent. Extremely well put together in a straight forward manner (i.e. no jumping around, dream sequences, or going in reverse sequence). Except 90 percent of the whole thing is in "look back" from Folsom County Prison so it really doesn't use that tactic.

An excellent example of a well made movie. How it didn't get a nomination for Best Picture is puzzling.
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A History of Violence.

The biggest problem with this movie is the title. "A History of Violence" sounds like something that should be on the Biography Channel of History Channel with Ghengis Khan, Napoleon, and Stalin or something like that. Or perhaps something filled with violence like "Gangs of New York" from a few years back. Never has a movie ever been so misnamed. In fact, I think that the name along with the mostly no-name cast doomed this movie.

AHOV borrows heavily from early M. Night Shyamalan and Quentin Tarantino in that it has that touch of surrealness to it without going over the top. O.K. Tarantino later took his stuff way over the top with the "Kill Bill"s to the point they were cartoonish. AHOV is more in line with "The Sixth Sense" and "Pulp Fiction" --moderatly surreal, but not crossing over into unreal.

The story is based in a small mid western town. An ordinary diner owner foils a robbery of his place by a couple of real slimeballs who were on a killing spree. He breaks up the robbery similar a la Brad Hamilton in "Fast time at Ridgmont High." Regardless the National media hound this guy shortly thereafter, especially when they learn the bad guys were really, really bad dudes. Unfortuantely for our hero, some east coast mafioso guys didn't take too kindly to his attention and, in fact, they believe he's somebody they know. Witness protection program maybe? Former Fed agent? They start messing with him and his family. How our hero and family react to all of the changes from the robbery, to the media attention, to the mobsters, and how it all unfolds is very well done and very unpredictable.

Might be the best movie in the last 5-6 years. I tend to think if this movie had a few big name actors in it and a title that makes sense before you see the movie (the title makes sense if it were "He has a history of violence", still dumb, but makes more sense), this would've been a box office hit. It comes out on DVD at the end of February 2006. It'll be an instant cult classic much like "Resovior Dogs".

[Ugly Bastard]

Originally Posted by angry pancake

A History of Violence....Might be the best movie in the last 5-6 years.

Jesus

[THEINCREDIBLEdork]

i just saw it and was somewhat disappointed. i was expecting something else, not a fan of these kinds of movies. had a couple good parts in it, but i had problem with the characters' unnatural behavior