In 2005, Entertainment Weekly called A History of Violence "the best movie of the year." I have to agree.

Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) enjoys a quiet life, running a quiet, little restaurant in a quiet, little town in Indiana ... until two sadistic killers drift in and try to rob him. Instantly, he becomes "America's hero" and makes headlines for killing the bad men.

The quiet ends. Among his new groupies is a badly scarred, one-eyed monster from Philadelphia, Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris), who keeps on calling him "Joey." Fogarty is convinced that Tom is Joey Cusack, brother of a crime boss named Richie Cusack (William Hurt), and the person who took out his eye with barbed wire.

Fogarty demands that Tom return with him to Philly to "face some people." Tom swears he doe not know what Fogarty is talking about. He's never been to Philly, nor has he ever met Fogarty.

Every aspect of Tom's life is questioned by the people around him. Even his son seems suspicious. Is he the quiet, decent family man that they have known for years, or is he a cold-blooded killer trying to conceal his true identity and his East Coast organized crime past?

I do not want to tell you any more of the plot because it might affect your viewing experience. I do want to compliment the writers on a brilliantly engineered script. They have managed to resolve the conflict and return the story to stasis while leaving major questions unanswered. It will drive you bonkers. I hope they plan to do a sequel so enquiring minds can stop asking if he did.

Is A History of Violence action steeped in drama, or drama with extreme action? It is definitely a mystery of the "did-he-dunnit" type, as opposed to the normal mystery of the more common "who-dunnit." The movie producers classify it as a "thrill-packed actioner," but that's an under-sell. This movie is so much more than that. It actually defies classification and demands to stand alone, far above the competition.

The acting is sublime. There is not one moment where any character loses total credibility; but there are numerous points where the actor adds depth and dimension to their character through facial expressions or a change in voice.

From the point of the robbery attempt throughout the movie, Mortensen's facial expressions and body language convince you that he is a dangerous, even sinister, man who is hiding much. The entire time that he is denying having mob connections, he is projecting danger and guilt. I have never seen a more convincing performance by any actor.

Harris demonstrates his ability to add layers to a character through subtlety. He plays a masterfully crafted game of peek-a-boo with his own sadistic killer persona ... who remains ever-present beneath the polished veneer of a polite gentleman who's been wronged. What a performance! He transforms "Don't forget your shoes" into "I'm enjoying torturing you now and eagerly anticipate killing you later."

A History of Violence has the ideal combination of movie aspects to become a classic: brilliant story, exceptional cast, great acting and quality production.