The Final Cut: A Closer Look At Serenity, A History Of Violence

This week, The Final Cut takes a closer look at History of Violence, with Viggo Mortensen; and Serenity, starring Nathan Fillion.  Also in theaters nationwide this weekend are The Greatest Game Ever Played and Into The Blue.  In limited release you can catch Duma, MirrorMask, Capote and The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio.  You can catch The Final Cut’s recommendations after the jump, and if you catch one of this weekends releases, feel free to leave a comment with your opinion. 

A History Of Violence

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, William Hurt, Ed Harris

Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) lives a quiet life in a small Indiana town, running the local diner with his wife Edie (Maria Bello) and raising their two children. But the quiet is shattered one day when a pair of criminals on the run from the police walk into his diner just before closing time. After they attack one of the customers and seem ready to kill several of the people inside, Tom jumps to the fore, grabbing a gun from one of the criminals and killing the invaders. Tom is immediately hailed as a hero by his employees and the community at large, but Tom seems less than comfortable with his new notoriety. One day, a man with severe facial scars, Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris), sits down at the counter and begins addressing Tom as Joey, and begins asking him questions about the old days in Philadelphia. While Tom seems puzzled, Carl’s actions suggest that the quiet man pouring coffee at the diner may have a dark and violent past he isn’t eager to share with others—as well as some old scores that haven’t been settled.

This film, directed by David Cronenberg, explores how a man’s life can change after a heroic act- for good and bad.  Based on a novel written by Vince Locke and John Wagner, A History of Violence is a darkly humorous, compelling film.  It’s well written, well acted and though it may not say anything to viewers that hasn’t been said already, it will still entertain you and leave you thinking.  This film has over 70 fresh reviews at Rotten Tomatoes for a Tomatometer reading of 86%.  I think it’d be worth your time to check out this film soon, if not this weekend, sometime in the near future.

Serenity

Starring:  Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin

Captain Malcolm Reynolds, a hardened veteran on the losing side of a galactic civil war, ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family—squabbling, insubordinate and undyingly loyal. When Mal takes on two new passengers—a young doctor and his unstable, telepathic sister—he gets much more than he bargained for. The two are highly sought-after fugitives from the coalition dominating the universe. Caught between the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the cannibalistic fury of the Reavers (savages who roam the very edge of space), Mal and his crew come to realize that the greatest danger to them may be on board Serenity herself.

Fans of the Sci-Fi show Firefly have surely been awaiting the release of this movie, but fan or no fan, it looks like this just about any viewer with a taste for Sci-Fi will have a good time at watching this film from director Joss Whedon.  The film’s simple plotline plays out great, and this fast paced adventure is packed full of action.  The cast has good chemistry, and they all turn in good performances, making Serenity a great choice for movie-goers this weekend.  When you hit the theater this weekend looking to escape from the world, take a ride on Serenity.