This movie was presented beautifully (i.e. visual, editing and soundtrack) and written horribly. With more care in writing Denise Richard's character could have been much more three-dimensional and worth watching. She tried her best to dress up poor dialogue. The whole thing felt extremely rushed, plastic, and the story is superficial. Missed opportunities in writing made for a big miss overall. Every scene snowballs and falls apart under careful watch. For example: A scene involving a priest reading from a bible. A PRIEST... is holding a New World Translation (Jehovah's Witness) bible... and reading King James words. I'm not even religious. The writing is the foundation of the art... this is built on mud.

Dr. Amanda Tyler (Denise Richards) lectures on the cycle of violence in America. She is requested by the governor of the state of Texas to examine a case of a man on death row for an assessment for a possible stay of execution. Yea, Texas, sure. The film is a flashback to the life of Jackson Shay, the man on death row. Jackson was an abused child and then once incarcerated became entrenched in crime. His story is remarkable, like everyone in prison they are either innocent or were justified in their actions...at least in their own mind. The film is apparently against the death penalty. Amanda wears red, the same color as Jackson's prison suit. We see them both through cage bars giving us the impression we are all in cages and violence sets us free. 2 stars because I am crushing on Denise Richards. Guide: F-word. Sex. Prison rape. Make butt nudity.

Giving it 9 'cause I think it looks better. The developing back story is compelling and very believable. The violence not over gratuitous, actually below what I was expecting, but excellently screenplay directed. Also, it doesn't preach even though the academics play as preachy characters, you're still left with a unique sense of your own judgement, unique in relation to how this particular movie gives you that. The lecture or the message is more played out in the clever characterised background environments. It does not force you to judge people but suggests the modern culture problem without forcing an emotional conclusion. Truly an excellent and inspiring watch. The acting, especially the main protagonist is truly Oscar material or should be. Support also very good indeed, and its great to see Bruce Dern in this movie playing a great role. I suppose some of the bad reviews relate to pacing, but thats due to reviewers wanting the opposite of what this movie is about and being uncomfortable with the emotional passages, and/or deeper emotional themes delivered very skillfully indeed - with the music score also set in a well disciplined non-over intrusive style, but certainly not bland. It is a beautiful work. But I do recommend giving it a good watch. If your looking for something to entertain YOU! you may well be disappointed. Having said that - I highly recommend this movie, you may even gain a healing experience or a re-awakening of a very gentle, well measured but strong truthful hope.

AMERICAN VIOLENCE is so bad it makes BLOODSPORT seem worthy of consideration for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. None of the story-line of AMERICAN VIOLENCE is even remotely plausible. The film's biggest premise is that Dr. Amanda Tyler (Denise Richards), a college professor, would actually have some say about the outcome of a man sentenced to death in Texas. Good Luck! The entire film is just a hamfisted and amateurish presentation of an anti-death penalty point of view backed up by weak and tired arguments that have been offered time and time again. What was desperately needed was a little fresh insight on 'The Facts'. And, the violent sequences to bolster the argument against violence were corny, poorly presented, and completely unbelievable. The whole project made me wonder what it might be like to have a film where toddlers recite the dialog from GOODFELLAS, and even that wacky undertaking would probably be more realistic, credible, and dramatic than anything in AMERICAN VIOLENCE. The only reason that I gave it two stars instead of one, is that I like Bruce Dern- maybe he was hard-up for money.

I can't honestly say I was expecting a movie with Denise Richards headlining to be of any real quality, but my god, has there ever been a poorer cast of actors?! Every character comes across forced; every line sounds like they were reading from the script in their hand; as if the director was just a film student who cast his family members for a class assignment. Do yourself a favour - just don't bother.

This movie was presented beautifully (i.e. visual, editing and soundtrack) and written horribly. With more care in writing Denise Richard's character could have been much more three-dimensional and worth watching. She tried her best to dress up poor dialogue. The whole thing felt extremely rushed, plastic, and the story is superficial. Missed opportunities in writing made for a big miss overall. Every scene snowballs and falls apart under careful watch. For example: A scene involving a priest reading from a bible. A PRIEST... is holding a New World Translation (Jehovah's Witness) bible... and reading King James words. I'm not even religious. The writing is the foundation of the art... this is built on mud.

Gave it a four as this seems to be the IMDb average. The subject matter is of course important but I am not against the death penalty after all it is meted out by nearly all those who have been sentenced to it. I care not about how civilised a nation feels it is. It is hogwash to care about putting a killer/rapist or whatever to death while bombing weddings in the Middle East. Of course I know they are not all weddings or baby milk factories as in Iraq. Jesus just how much milk was being made there. Did none of them breast feed? Must have thought they were too posh, but in principle those bombing do take out relatively non involved people and as no war is in play that has to be murder. At some level anyway. A capital punishment film I did enjoy with its twisting plot was the one with Kevin Spacey. The Life of David Gale. Now this had the story about WRONGFUL executions. We in the UK are very aware today about that.In the Christie murders case a man called Evans was hung on the evidence provided by Christie himself. Caught 31 March 1953 executed 15 July 1953 shows that we did not muck around for long. But of course the crocodile tear brigade that loves God Guns and bombing weddings would wish to preserve such lives. Disposing of the trash in society does not diminish real humanity. It does take the bread out of the hard working legal workers and the parasitical hangers on who are paid to make sure that apprehended criminals live lives better than innocent and elderly beings. They do not even see the irony of their good works. The other main movie along the death penalty lines of late was Gene Hackman in The Chamber. Now of course I can not defend the actions of the murdering KKK but I would suggest that most liberals who abhor the notion of the death penalty will be the same colour as the KKK. I would go as far as t suggest that they and the White Supremacists 'same thing' have no place on the Earth that the god fearing 'well the paying lip service anyway' feel was made for the MEEK. I have been put off the idea of watching this. The reviews do help. I have not seen a lower graded film that might have been many points higher and I tend to enjoy what is offered if the attempt has been made to entertain.

Texas is wavering on a execution because it's an election year, so they ask a 'world renowned psychologist' to conduct an interview and make a recommendation - Yeah right. She agrees because it's a good opportunity for her studies in the cycle of violence - Plausible. The 'world renowned psychologist' has her eyes opened and lady bits tingling in 72 hours - Just stop. How about interviewing a violent offender with nothing to lose? No problem, let's just push this desk up against the bars with electrical cords in reach. Need a light? Here's a Zippo they let me to bring in. Need to build rapport? No problem, I'll start with anger and self-righteousness. Don't like something he says? Wad up some paper and throw it at him. Heard a few stories that got you changing your mind? Stand up against the bars with him like you're the big spoon. Back at the university teaching? Tell us how you feel by glancing wistfully at the Zippo on the lectern. I chuckled when the guy's love interest was introduced. I'm not sure what was happening with her outfit, but a Goodwill thrift store cried that day. She seemed to be wearing too big business type clothes on top and raggedy underwear looking shorts on bottom. The humor stopped though when she started talking in that awful accent. Her clothes got better, the script and acting didn't. Not sure how much a person can take of a grown woman lounging in a bikini in front of her father, whom she calls daddy, with her chest thrust out. Don't worry, she throws out some range when she pouts and coos at him. Like when daddy offered her up to his body guard. I think it was the movie's attempt at humor. God stop the pain of this script. 2 stars - the cinematography wasn't bad.

Other than the hot actors and actresses... the movie is just bad. They show some disgusting scenes. The acting is bad. The dialogue is cliché and amateur. The characters are one-dimensional except for one lawyer and one crook. The story doesn't know what to do, except it is like as if a woman writer wrote a novella about a sexy bad-boy criminal who does horrible things but justifiably, and so the sexy psychologist falls in love with him. They try to make a scene reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs, except it's horrible and cheesy. Then they lavish on the disgusting political message and bash you over the head with it: violence bad... and "stop perpetuating the cycle"... but it provides ZERO justifications for it. Other than the sexy psychologist's lust for a sexy criminal (perpetuating the stereotype of going after bad boys). And the criminal on death row, is not even much of a criminal. He does crimes but it's all not his fault. Like as if evil doesn't exist. Or bad people don't exist. Or it's the "system" causing it. So it's like a collaborative movie written by a girl who likes bad boys, and a hippie who hates the system... man...

I just watched this on Netflix and never heard of it before. It was a great story and the characters were strong! My ONLY complaint - blonde women do NOT have black eyebrows. Other than that - it was very well acted! Imagine being in this man's shoes...would you do that same? I would.