David Cronenberg's A History of Violence is a suspenseful thriller, but it is an uneven movie. Cronenberg is close to joining the ranks of Hitchcock and Welles but is not quite there yet. He does not maintain the suspense throughout and, I suspect, the production company got involved and had the final say. Too bad!

This is a small film (not a blockbuster) and a personal film. It is the personal side that is not developed to the detriment of the film. I don't mean this in the directorial aspect. Several conflicts are set in motion but are not fully developed.

Movie review ©   Lawrence L. Novotny.

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