Eastern Promises (2007)

hard to follow

I had a hard time understanding Eastern Promises. If it wasn't the quiet mumbling that dominated the majority of the conversations, it was the shocking and disgusting segments involving gruesome deaths, blood, or other kinds of violence. The build up in the beginning was extremely slow and uninteresting. It's not a movie for everyone. July 13, 2008

Superbly acted meditation on honour and loyalty

Superbly acted saga on the Russian mafia in London. Has echoes of "The Godfather" and the machinations of the Russian nobility. Not really an action film, more a meditation on loyalty and honour. Told with maximum impact by director David Cronenberg, who continues his excellent partnership with Viggo Mortensen from "A History of Violence" (2005). Only a few inconsistent plot points and an abrupt ending detract from this film. July 11, 2008

Brilliantly acted but the plot is flawed

I gave this film four stars ONLY,and I repeat, ONLY, because of the amazing quality of Viggo Mortensen's acting. He remains stony-faced throughout the film, and much is communicated with the most subtle of expressions. I was impressed even by his use of subtle body language. I have a new respect for him as an actor after watching this film, and hope to see more of his work in the future.
This film should be rated NC-17, not R, for the full frontal male nudity, graphic sex scene, and intense, gory and realistic violence. THe plot is flawed, andmany will find especially the ending to be unfulfilling.
Also, I have one important question: Why do the Russian gangsters in this film speak english (Russian-accented) with an American accent? its wierdly contrasted to Naomi Watt's English accent.
I must add that the fight scene in the bath house is one of the best I've ever seen on film, mostly because it seemed to lack that obvious choreographed feel. Once again Viggo's acting makes this scene stand out. July 11, 2008

Great Screenplay and Performance by Viggo

As most reviewers have noted, Viggo is the story of this movie. He gives an award-winning caliber performance as Nikolai, a on the rise chaffeur to a Russian gangster in London. What makes Viggo's performance great is the control and restraint he delivers as well as the anger and violence he exhibits at other moments. My two complaints and reason for a four are: (1) I thought Naomi Watts was lifeless as a midwife that enters this unseemly underworld of crime. At times, I was frustrated by her seeming naievete and cluelessness to the situations she put herself in. (2) Without revealing any of the ending, I was a bit disappointed in the ending of the movie. While i don't like neat endings, the ending felt a little too abrupt in many ways and too tidy in others. Lastly, I felt Cronenberg was more judicious in his use of screen violence in the film.

While there were a few hard-to-watch scenes, they contributed to and added dimension to the movie, rather than being gratuitous. The reality is the world of organized crime is a brutal and violent world and not reflecting that would have raised questions about the authenticity of the world he was portraying. Additionally, the performances by Armin Mueller-Stahl (Semyon) and Vincent Cassel (Kirill) as father and son gangsters are top-notch.

Overall, this is a movie worth seeing, especially for the powerful performance by Mortensen. July 9, 2008

dark movie, darker viggo

You've seen the description of this movie, so I'll skip that. It's dark, violent, slow-moving at times, and very predictable until the end of the movie where you're rewarding with a slight twist in the story. Gritty, gruesome, and ALOT of Russian language lessons. If you like mobster movies, this one might be for you. If not, pass... July 2, 2008

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