The Decade in Review.

I didn't see nearly as many movies in the first decade of the 21st Century (anybody decide on a name for that decade yet?) as I should have. But that's not going to stop me from jumping on the bandwagon (admittedly, I'm a little late to the party) and doing a best-movies-of-the-decade list. Today's entry, at number 10...

A History of Violence

David Cronenberg, director of wacked-out (in a good way) flicks like The Brood and the remake of The Fly, went straight in 2005 with A History Of Violence, a tight little suspense movie. Except, when you think about it, Violence ain't that straight. The movie features a couple of raw sex scenes and several flashes of gooey gore.


But what really makes Violence great is the craft. Working with an intelligent screenplay and a talented cast (including Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, and William Hurt), Cronenberg and crew assembled a near-perfect movie. Every shot is beautifully composed, and no shot goes on for a frame longer than necessary.

Honorable Mention: Eastern Promises

Cronenberg teamed with Mortensen again for his Violence follow-up, Eastern Promises (released in 2007). This is another relatively "straight" Cronenberg movie. Well, except for that scene with the corpse. And the naked bathhouse fight. But it's good pulpy fun.

Tomorrow: "You probably heard, we ain't in the prisoner-takin' business..."