Eastern Promises Review Thread

[FilmJerk]

Excellent movie. Cronenberg follows up History of Violence with an excellent character driven drama about family and murder. Viggo Mortensen plays Nikolai, a driver who works for Kirill, played by Vincent Cassel, and Semyon, played by Armin Mueller-Stahl. The movie is basically about a young girl, who is a prostitute, who dies in a drug store whilst pregnant. The baby is delivered by a Naomi Watts, a midwife at a hospital. Things get nasty when the girl's diary reveals much about the organized crime family that is lead by Semyon. The excellent drama is marked with amazing, powerful performances all around. Viggo Mortensen is amazing as Nikolai, the driver while witnesses much, stays on the sidelines as much as possible, but not for very long. Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel are also very good, Cassel being familiar playing an eccentric, sorta lose cannon. With a towering, powerful performance is Armin Mueller-Stahl, who is like the Godfather of this movie. His presence feels overwhelming and he is very very good. Oscar noms should be ahead for Mortensen and Armin Mueller-Stahl. They give career defining performances. The movie is not nearly as violent as A History of Violence, so dont expect much bloodshed, though there is a fight scene with Mortensen and two other guys in a steamroom and that is pretty intense, and graphic and with full frontal Viggo nudity. And a couple of throat slashes. This isn't up there with say The Godfather or any of those types of movies, but it definitely can hold it's own. Cronenberg is on a roll right now and definitely look forward to his next movie.

[DeadFlagBlues]

I'm a fan of Cronenberg so I can't wait for this film. Looks great.

[sshuttari]

Is it as good as Scarface?

[DeadFlagBlues]

Is it as good as Scarface?

Lets hope so. I couldn't handle another "Cuban accent" like Pacino's.

[FilmJerk]

wasn't really a fan of scarface other than Pacino's performance, but yeah I'd say so, it's not so over the top and it's actually believable.

[SaltyDog]

wasn't really a fan of scarface other than Pacino's performance, but yeah I'd say so, it's not so over the top and it's actually believable.

"Scarface" with Pacino was dumb and stupid in just about every aspect of filmmaking and performances so fricking over the top that I laughed all the way through it. I rather hope that "EP" delivers as I will be spending my hard earn 9 bucks (Matinee price) to see it today.

[Newmans_Own]

As the ruthless assassin Nikolai, Viggo Mortensen gives a heavily-layered, selflessly brave and completely mesmerizing performance. Never before has Mortensen been so compelling, vanishing into the thickly-accented front of a human monster. His unexpressive face constantly keeps the viewer guessing until his sudden and terrifying outbursts of violence show how much he is capable of. It is these sequences of violence in particular that are most noteworthy; one such scene features full-frontal nudity so risky and daring that very few other actors working today would even attempt it. Yet Mortensen is entirely assured, refusing to let those around him (and those watching the film) to see a moment of weakness or doubt. Watts and Mueller-Stahl give solid performances as well, with Mueller-Stahl especially making an impression as the aged head of the family, switching from tender and caring to cold and menacing in mere moments. The only weak link in the cast is Vincent Cassel as Mueller-Stahl’s rebellious and outlandish son, giving another ranting and raving performance to add to his resume of international creeps. But apart from Cassel, the acting is handled subtly and masterfully on all accounts.

While this certainly isn’t the Cronenberg of SCANNERS or VIDEODROME, there is no doubt that this is a Cronenberg picture. It’s possibly one of the most violent films of the year, its scenes of excessiveness made even more effective by the discomfort it invokes in the viewer. The scenes of graphic acts (and there are plenty) aren’t meant to please, in the way a horror film might. They’re meant to disturb, and they accomplish the job almost too well. The script is nearly too tightly plotted, moving from one point to the next without much time for development. This becomes criminally obvious towards the end of the film, which is too vague for its own good. The build-up to the finale is excellent, yet when it arrives the viewer is asked to assume too much, and the lasting impact falters.

***1/2

Full review at http://newmanscorner.blogspot.com

[SaltyDog]

After Cronenberg last effort "History of Violence" and all the hoopla from the critics on this film I was expecting a great film. Not so from where I sat. I liked the film and rate it an OK film but here again I might be stretching it some. Viggo Mortensen does a good job as the killer machine and Armin Mueller-stahl shines as the father but Naomi Watts has little to do except appear in tight pants. Cassel is effective as the weak and flawed son. Occasionally the film surprises. I like the way they present the role tattoos play in the Russian Underground, but to put it in a nutshell, there are not many surprises in what is pretty much a run of the mill crime thriller. Now I know why the bathhouse scene is the scene everyone is promoting. Its the only exciting (no pun intended) scene in the fricking movie and not very well choreographed at that probably because they are trying to cover his private part as he tumbles about in the fight. But Viggo does show his dingie, briefly, (not worth 10 bucks if this is all you are interested in) and oh yes there are gay overtones thrown in as well. Overall, an OK film but nothing special. My rating B

[Jack]

I love gay overtones!

[SaltyDog]

I love gay overtones!

That is why the "oversweets" are in the film. For people like you who enjoy such imagery. There is also an unnecessary vulgar graphic sex scene which makes this off limits to those under 17.

[Darth Maul]

edit

[SaltyDog]

edit

ACTUALLY, there is a lot of anti gay rhetoric in this film. Wonder how the gay community will view it. Boycotts...etc etc.....

[DeadFlagBlues]

Does it really matter, honestly? Anyone can find any kind of subtle, unintentional rhetoric or social commentary in any and every film. I do believe its the audience who tends to look for these statements.

[Darth Maul]

I was just going to say of course its off limits because of the R rating, thats why ppl under 17 shouldnt see it.

[Tzarinna]

This was great. Viggo was really working that Russian accent, his whole demeanor was on point. :heart: I didn't think there would be any heartwarming moments in this but I found myself in a few near and at the end.

[SaltyDog]

:heart: I didn't think there would be any heartwarming moments in this but I found myself in a few near and at the end.

OH, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

[Necross]

ACTUALLY, there is a lot of anti gay rhetoric in this film. Wonder how the gay community will view it. Boycotts...etc etc.....


Boycotts? Everytime someone says fag or something in a movie the gay community doesn't run out and boycott. If it was a movie urging the populace to hate gays then maybe. But its just a movie. :P The only group of people I've seen protest anything in large numbers lately were people over Passion of the Christ.

Anyway, I'd wanna see it, seeing as I liked A History of Violence.

[Tzarinna]

OH, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

You got a problem with my bleeding heart? :rolleyes:

[SaltyDog]

You got a problem with my bleeding heart? :rolleyes:

OH....PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.........

[Tzarinna]

I'm going to need a BS translator. ;)

[SaltyDog]

I'm going to need a BS translator. ;)

OH, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE......CAN'T YOU COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER.......

[Matrix_Fan]

OH, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE......CAN'T YOU COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER.......

LOOK AT ME! I'M SALTYDOG! I POST THE SAME RESPONSES BECAUSE I LACK ORIGINALITY! I WANT EVERYONE TO SEE THE SAME MOVIES AS ME, SO I'M GOING TO POST EVERY GOOD REVIEW I FIND TO PROVE MY POINT! EVERYONE IS WRONG, AND I'M RIGHT! I'M SO COOL! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

Also, you must have a broken keyboard, because your caps are locked.

[Darth Maul]

LOOK AT ME! I'M SALTYDOG! I POST THE SAME RESPONSES BECAUSE I LACK ORIGINALITY! I WANT EVERYONE TO SEE THE SAME MOVIES AS ME, SO I'M GOING TO POST EVERY GOOD REVIEW I FIND TO PROVE MY POINT! EVERYONE IS WRONG, AND I'M RIGHT! I'M SO COOL! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

OH, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

[Matrix_Fan]

OH, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Not you too!

[mjb]

Good movie and good acting, didn't like the ending. Not bad but i expected more. It is one of my year's best.

9/10

[DeadFlagBlues]

I felt it was much better than A History of Violence (which is hard to top). Great acting all around. There were some aspects I didn't much care for. I actually felt the ending was perfect for the film. It was surprisingly more heartfelt and sentimental than any of Cronenberg's films (that I can remember). I felt the sentimentality hurt it a little. But, like Newmans_Own stated, it was certainly not the Cronenberg of Scanners or Videodrome. Regardless of that, it was a really good film.

9/10

[Tzarinna]

OH, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE......CAN'T YOU COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER.......


I'm not here to entertain you. :confused:

[SaltyDog]

I'm not here to entertain you. :confused:

OH, pLEASE.................................

[Matrix_Fan]

And that makes four......:nono:

[SaltyDog]

This film took a big drop in boxoffice this week causing some speculation it is headed for Video faster than Viggo recovered from those vicious knife cuts he received in the shower fight scene.

[Jack]

It is thematically the anti-thesis of History of Violence, yet tonally its compainion piece. Viggo was fantastic, nailing the mannerisms and accents. The sentimentality of the script was at odds with Cronenberg's sensibilities, which lead to some awkward moments (voice-over, ending). Part of what made the sauna scene so brilliant, aside from its visceral impact, is the things we learn. No driver could dispose of two men like that. It was a fantatic way of showing, not telling, that he is inflitrating the mob. The climax of the sauna scene also overshadows anything that procedes it, and left any other ending feeling a little lacking. Otherwise a well-paced, well-written exploration of flesh and humanity and underground social systems.

B

[Jack]

What does the box office analysis have to do with the quality of this film, Saltydog?

[Drizzt240]

I liked it a lot.

I thing Viggo really made the movie. His character and acting were great. I thought it did end abruptly, but it didn't bother me too much.

The shower scene was AMAZING.

8/10

[SaltyDog]

I love gay overtones!

Well, it surely didn't do much for the film as the movie is only at 14 million and out of the top ten after just a few weeks. It also looks like the highly promoted ridiculous knife fight in the sauna with the hero in the nude didn't do much for it either.

[DeadFlagBlues]

Well, it surely didn't do much for the film as the movie is only at 14 million and out of the top ten after just a few weeks. It also looks like the highly promoted ridiculous knife fight in the sauna with the hero in the nude didn't do much for it either.

You seem to be the only one obsessing over the sauna scene. Why does just about every post of yours involve the sauna scene? How does the money a film makes an indication for how good or bad it is? If you are under the impression that money is all that matters then Hollywood really has manipulated you.

[SaltyDog]

You seem to be the only one obsessing over the sauna scene. Why does just about every post of yours involve the sauna scene? How does the money a film makes an indication for how good or bad it is? If you are under the impression that money is all that matters then Hollywood really has manipulated you.

It sure would be nice to have adults frequent this site more often instead of these snooty kids with their oh so insulting "I want to show others I am so smarter than you" posts. Of course it is a necessary evil and one that will never go away " kids posting that is" but one wish those who do would indeed be more mature and informative.

Deadflagbrain....If you wouldn't be living in some outpost in the wilderness you would know that the scene I frequently mention is because this is the scene that is frequently advertised to the public as the reason for seeing this mediocre run of the mill thriller. Its in their TV advertising, their newspaper advertisement and mention by just about every fricking critic who evidently can't find something more interesting to point out in the film.

[halo7]

I have yet to see any advertisement featuring the Sauna scene or any mention of it. So lying and using horrible puns won't win you this one.

[JurassicJake]

This film was incredible. The violence/blood is not gratuitous at all.

[DeadFlagBlues]

It sure would be nice to have adults frequent this site more often instead of these snooty kids with their oh so insulting "I want to show others I am so smarter than you" posts. Of course it is a necessary evil and one that will never go away " kids posting that is" but one wish those who do would indeed be more mature and informative.

Deadflagbrain....If you wouldn't be living in some outpost in the wilderness you would know that the scene I frequently mention is because this is the scene that is frequently advertised to the public as the reason for seeing this mediocre run of the mill thriller. Its in their TV advertising, their newspaper advertisement and mention by just about every fricking critic who evidently can't find something more interesting to point out in the film.

I haven't really heard very much about this scene from any critic other than the simple fact that its mentioned. That usually happens when you review a film. I could point out numerous aspects that I loved about the film but I could also list some of the things I did not like at all.

I actually haven't seen this being shown in any of their advertisements. So I can't really see what you're talking about. Because -- for some reason -- you mention this sauna scene in nearly every post concerning the film. If this is all you gleaned from the film, then you obviously just "didn't get it".

Plus, you complain about individuals not giving informative criticisms but yet you haven't been exactly posting constructive criticisms yourself.

[Jack]

It sure would be nice to have adults frequent this site more often instead of these snooty kids with their oh so insulting "I want to show others I am so smarter than you" posts. Of course it is a necessary evil and one that will never go away " kids posting that is" but one wish those who do would indeed be more mature and informative.

Deadflagbrain....If you wouldn't be living in some outpost in the wilderness you would know that the scene I frequently mention is because this is the scene that is frequently advertised to the public as the reason for seeing this mediocre run of the mill thriller. Its in their TV advertising, their newspaper advertisement and mention by just about every fricking critic who evidently can't find something more interesting to point out in the film.

Saltydog, you're the first adult I've ever heard say the phrase "OH PLEEEAASSSEEE."

Twice.

That's the most obnoxious response imaginable. You may be an adult, but you are the most immature poster on these boards. Lecturing other posters in maturity is almost offensive.

I've also never seen the sauna scene advertised. If you can point me to some advertisement, fine.

Most critics tend to comment on scenes in a film that stand out. You yourself claimed it was "the only exciting scene in the fricking movie." I wouldn't call it a lack of creativity on the critics part. Cronenberg spent weeks working on that scene. It shows, and is therefore discussed.

[SaltyDog]

Saltydog, you're the first adult I've ever heard say the phrase "OH PLEEEAASSSEEE."

Twice.

That's the most obnoxious response imaginable. You may be an adult, but you are the most immature poster on these boards. Lecturing other posters in maturity is almost offensive.

I've also never seen the sauna scene advertised. If you can point me to some advertisement, fine.

Most critics tend to comment on scenes in a film that stand out. You yourself claimed it was "the only exciting scene in the fricking movie." I wouldn't call it a lack of creativity on the critics part. Cronenberg spent weeks working on that scene. It shows, and is therefore discussed.

OH, PLEASEEEEEEEEEE>> JACK...............Another BAD NEWS BEAR who evidently has his head in under a rock but feels like criticizing somebody or something he obviously doesn't know anything about. Obnoxious.....talk about piling on....lOL.....

[SaltyDog]

I have yet to see any advertisement featuring the Sauna scene or any mention of it. So lying and using horrible puns won't win you this one.

Yours is a post containing two cents of know nothing nonsense.

[drzarius]

I saw this one and was somewhat let down by it. I thought A History of Violence was better story-wise. I really didn't find Viggo's acting all that spectacular, nor his Russian accent. I'm not saying they were bad or unimpressive, but *shrug* the movie just didn't really seem to go anywhere.

The sauna scene had a couple of really brutal moments, but I found the opening barbershop scene more shocking for some reason.

Curiously nothing in this movie really warrants the attention for brutality that its getting IMO. I thought the wine bottle scene in Pan's Labyrinth incredibly brutal and surprising, but I don't think I've ever heard mention of it.

I also found the son of Viggo's character's boss distracting. I kept waiting/wanting to hear something French slip out of his mouth (Matrix 2 flashbacks and possibly Irreversible...). I mean come on...that's definately not a Russian nose. :)

[John Hartigan]

Well, it surely didn't do much for the film as the movie is only at 14 million and out of the top ten after just a few weeks. It also looks like the highly promoted ridiculous knife fight in the sauna with the hero in the nude didn't do much for it either.

Is your problem with the scene itself, or with Viggo Mortensen's penis? I have not seen the film personally, but as a huge admirer of Cronenberg's work I'm going to go ahead and assume it's got alot more to do with him showing a feral, brutal and animalistic side to humanity that plays directly into his usual themes of (in this case psychological) Body Horror, more so than an excuse for Viggo to get his wang on display.

Really, you're the one acting like a teenager here. Everyone else, even those who didn't like this movie, still seem to be able to grasp what Cronenberg's intent was for the scene. And yet here you are, forever reminding us that there's a Penis on the screen, like an annoying, giggling little schoolgirl.

So what? You know... I have a feeling that if Jamie Foxx had donned his birthday suit to fight dem Terrorists in The Kingdom, you'd be the first mother****er there defending it.


And on a side note, is anybody else here seriously starting to think this guy is just another Rob in Phoenix? I know I can't be alone.

[Darth Maul]

Is your problem with the scene itself, or with Viggo Mortensen's penis? I have not seen the film personally, but as a huge admirer of Cronenberg's work I'm going to go ahead and assume it's got alot more to do with him showing a feral, brutal and animalistic side to humanity that plays directly into his usual themes of (in this case psychological) Body Horror, more so than an excuse for Viggo to get his wang on display.

Really, you're the one acting like a teenager here. Everyone else, even those who didn't like this movie, still seem to be able to grasp what Cronenberg's intent was for the scene. And yet here you are, forever reminding us that there's a Penis on the screen, like an annoying, giggling little schoolgirl.

So what? You know... I have a feeling that if Jamie Foxx had donned his birthday suit to fight dem Terrorists in The Kingdom, you'd be the first mother****er there defending it.


And on a side note, is anybody else here seriously starting to think this guy is just another Rob in Phoenix? I know I can't be alone.

what do u mean by rob in phoenix?

[Tzarinna]

My guess...an old poster.

[halo7]

Indeed. Rob in Phoenix was either a ridiculous excuse for a human being or a great joke.

SaltyDog could easily be either.

[John Hartigan]

what do u mean by rob in phoenix?

Just read some of his (its?) old posts and you'll see what I mean:

http://forums.comingsoon.net/search.php?searchid=792687&pp=25

In the end we found out it was just some guys on another forum taking the piss.

[SaltyDog]

So what? You know... I have a feeling that if Jamie Foxx had donned his birthday suit to fight dem Terrorists in The Kingdom, you'd be the first mother****er there defending it.


And on a side note, is anybody else here seriously starting to think this guy is just another Rob in Phoenix? I know I can't be alone.:

EH..........your just another Liberal strutting peacock....

[SaltyDog]

Well, it surely didn't do much for the film as the movie is only at 14 million and out of the top ten after just a few weeks. It also looks like the highly promoted ridiculous knife fight in the sauna with the hero in the nude didn't do much for it either.

To think that this one "QUOTE" has turned on the fan boys ....many throwing fire flames....and these same silly people call me immature..obnoxious.......EH............

[Matrix_Fan]

To think that this one "QUOTE" has turned on the fan boys ....many throwing fire flames....and these same silly people call me immature..obnoxious.......EH............

Hmm...I wonder why?:rolleyes:

[SaltyDog]

Hmm...I wonder why?:rolleyes:

Matrix, My thoughts exactly...I come here to hang out with you guys and gals and shoot the breeze about the movies and all I get is obnoxious and boring behavior from you all....You guys keep this up and I will stop sharing my expert opinions with you all.

[John Hartigan]

Matrix, My thoughts exactly...I come here to hang out with you guys and gals and shoot the breeze about the movies and all I get is obnoxious and boring behavior from you all....You guys keep this up and I will stop sharing my expert opinions with you all.

You don't have expert opinions. All you do is report what others have already said, be it about Box Office, Reviews, Previews, etc, which we can all view anyway (and probably do) by just visiting the main page. And alot of the time you're usually just talking to yourself - the Hairspray Review Thread being the perfect example there.

On the off chance you actually do have your own opinion on something it's usually just to tell someone else that theirs is wrong, which would be fine if you could actually backup any of your arguments, but you don't. Whenever you're in a corner and clearly in the wrong (which is alot), you resort to this Holier than Thou attitude, or refuse to acknowledge it completely.

I don't think anyone would really care if you stayed or if you were gone, and it wouldn't make a difference to this forum whatsoever. Some of your posts are entertainingly bad, in the sense that it's funny to laugh at you if you are infact a real person - the jokes getting old now though and you're becoming increasingly annoying.

Us "Bad News Bears" are the future, put up or shut up Grandpa.

[SaltyDog]

You don't have expert opinions. All you do is report what others have already said, be it about Box Office, Reviews, Previews, etc, which we can all view anyway (and probably do) by just visiting the main page. And alot of the time you're usually just talking to yourself - the Hairspray Review Thread being the perfect example there.

On the off chance you actually do have your own opinion on something it's usually just to tell someone else that theirs is wrong, which would be fine if you could actually backup any of your arguments, but you don't. Whenever you're in a corner and clearly in the wrong (which is alot), you resort to this Holier than Thou attitude, or refuse to acknowledge it completely.

I don't think anyone would really care if you stayed or if you were gone, and it wouldn't make a difference to this forum whatsoever. Some of your posts are entertainingly bad, in the sense that it's funny to laugh at you if you are infact a real person - the jokes getting old now though and you're becoming increasingly annoying.

Us "Bad News Bears" are the future, put up or shut up Grandpa.

Oh, Please....and you are becoming extremely boring as well. Spare me your intellectual boredom. For someone who doesn't care what I post or whether I stay or go you sure seem to be paying a lot of attention to what I have posted. LOL. Of course from what you state about my postings it is evident that you have no knowledge of what one talks about here. PUT UP or Shut up ...and prove me wrong on what I have posted about any subject matter instead of just babbling on and on with your predaceous assumptions which by the way mean absolutely nothing to me.

[John Hartigan]

Oh, Please....and you are becoming extremely boring as well. Spare me your intellectual boredom. For someone who doesn't care what I post or whether I stay or go you sure seem to be paying a lot of attention to what I have posted. LOL.

I don't think anyone would really care if you stayed or if you were gone, and it wouldn't make a difference to this forum whatsoever.

Please pointout where I wrote I didn't care what you posted, because obviously I find you enough of an annoyance to respond to one of your ridiculous posts, now don't I? If I were indifferent, I wouldn't have.

Of course from what you state about my postings it is evident that you have no knowledge of what one talks about here.

I've been here over a year longer than you have - I'm doing just fine in that department.

PUT UP or Shut up ...and prove me wrong on what I have posted about any subject matter instead of just babbling on and on with your predaceous assumptions which by the way mean absolutely nothing to me.

Sure,

Deadflagbrain....If you wouldn't be living in some outpost in the wilderness you would know that the scene I frequently mention is because this is the scene that is frequently advertised to the public as the reason for seeing this mediocre run of the mill thriller. Its in their TV advertising, their newspaper advertisement and mention by just about every fricking critic who evidently can't find something more interesting to point out in the film.


I have yet to see any advertisement featuring the Sauna scene or any mention of it. So lying and using horrible puns won't win you this one.
I haven't really heard very much about this scene from any critic other than the simple fact that its mentioned. That usually happens when you review a film. I could point out numerous aspects that I loved about the film but I could also list some of the things I did not like at all.

I actually haven't seen this being shown in any of their advertisements. So I can't really see what you're talking about. Because -- for some reason -- you mention this sauna scene in nearly every post concerning the film. If this is all you gleaned from the film, then you obviously just "didn't get it".

Plus, you complain about individuals not giving informative criticisms but yet you haven't been exactly posting constructive criticisms yourself.
Saltydog, you're the first adult I've ever heard say the phrase "OH PLEEEAASSSEEE."

Twice.

That's the most obnoxious response imaginable. You may be an adult, but you are the most immature poster on these boards. Lecturing other posters in maturity is almost offensive.

I've also never seen the sauna scene advertised. If you can point me to some advertisement, fine.

Most critics tend to comment on scenes in a film that stand out. You yourself claimed it was "the only exciting scene in the fricking movie." I wouldn't call it a lack of creativity on the critics part. Cronenberg spent weeks working on that scene. It shows, and is therefore discussed.


That's 3 against 1 SD, you lose. There are other examples of course, but I think I proved my point.

[SaltyDog]

[QUOTE=John Hartigan;2321293]Please pointout where I wrote I didn't care what you posted, because obviously I find you enough of an annoyance to respond to one of your ridiculous posts, now don't I? If I were indifferent, I wouldn't have.
I've been here over a year longer than you have - I'm doing just fine in that department.
Sure,

That's 3 against 1 SD, you lose. There are other examples of course, but I think I proved my point.[/QUOTE

I don't even know why I bother..BUT...all you prove is that you are uninformed and insignificant when it comes to discussing the subjects of the day. If people live in a big city or near one like I do then you would know what I am talking about. Of course then you would have to be able to read a newspaper and or trade papers or special publications or even be able to attend movie premieres etc etc. So this is the reason why I don't have to prove anything. It is all out there for people IN THE KNOW. If you would go and read my posts ON THIS VERY THREAD of the last week you would know that I have already answered the questions you post above. 3 you say...evidently three who don't know how to read. IT SEEMS TO ME 'JOHN BOY' YOU need to spend more time taking care of your pimple problem so you can develop more self confidence in yourself and continue to do your homework so that you can learn more and be able to come here and play with the BIG BOYS.

[Dracula]

Better late than never

Eastern Promises(10/19/2007)
The first scene in Eastern Promises involves someone getting his throat cut with very bloody results. The scene may be shocking to many, but it will come as no surprise to anyone who’s particularly familiar with the works of David Cronenberg, a director famous for bringing extremely graphic violence to the screen in new and interesting ways.

The film centers on Anna Khitrova (Naomi Watts) a second generation Russian immigrant in London working as a mid-wife at the local hospital. A pregnant girl shows up at the hospital going through troubled labor, she ends up dying in childbirth. Khitrova decides to track down the girl’s family in order to find a place for the newborn baby. This search leads her into the dark world of imported prostitution and sex slavery run by the Russian mafia. Among these Russian gangsters is Nikolai Luzhin (Viggo Mortenson) who first appears to be the driver of a crime boss named Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and his violent son Kirill (Vincent Cassel). Finding this dead girl’s family soon becomes complicated and these gangsters are dangerous people to deal with.

Eastern Promises was written by Steven Knight, whose most notable prior credit was the film Dirty Pretty Things. This film is somewhat similar in that both deal with immigrant minorities in London’s underground. I found Dirty Pretty Things was a work with some interesting ideas, but also that it was ultimately forgettable. I feel this script would also have been interesting but forgettable were it not for some very interesting acting and the intervention of David Cronenberg.

Cronenberg has become so famous for his disturbing body horror and gore that many people forget about one of his biggest strengths, his ability to direct actors. Cronenberg was behing Christopher Walken’s brilliant performance in The Dead Zone, Jeff Goldblum’s great turn in The Fly, and Jeremy Iron’s double role in Dead Ringers that was famously snubbed by the academy. In his last movie, A History of Violence Cronenberg got an amazing performance out of Viggo Mortenson as he came off his star turning role as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Morenson is working with Cronenberg again here as the massively tattooed gangster Nikolai, and he is very strong again. His acting is subtle here, but noticeably good; his character isn’t as easy to show off with as it was on A History of Violence but I think he is just as good. Though Mortenson clearly steals the show, the acting is great from the rest of the cast as well. Naomi Watts is one of the best actresses of her generation and her work here is up to her usual high standards. Vincent Cassel is also great as the violent and disturbed young gangster Kirill, as is Armin Mueller-Stahl as his father. Jerzy Skolimowski also make a memorable appearance as Anna’s father who claims to be former KGB… but probably wasn’t.

Eastern Promises, like many Cronenberg’s last film is hard to classify. It doesn’t really fit as a thriller of horror film, as tension doesn’t really seem to be the goal here. It’s way to violent to be what many would see as a conventional drama, and it also doesn’t really feel like a crime film as the Russian Mafia feels more like a backdrop then the real point. The fact that it doesn’t easily fit in any box allows it to avoid many genre conventions and remain highly unpredictable.

Cronenberg is no longer within a horror or science fiction setting, but “the new flesh” still lives, albeit in a more realistic setting. There is a scene involving a frozen body that many of Cronenberg’s fans like me will lap up but “normal” find fairly disgusting. There’s also a scene where Viggo Mortenson gets into a violent bloody knife fight… naked. It’s a scene that, again, will be very interesting to Cronenberg fans but will make almost anyone else very uncomfortable.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t know how much there would be to enjoy here if it weren’t for Cronenberg, and the solid cast. I can’t say I found the story overly fascinating. What I did find interesting was Cronenberg’s auteur stamp, although it’s more of an evolution of the style that was established in the superior History of Violence than it is a revolution. This is certainly worth seeing for people that dig Cronenberg’s style, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with the rest of it, but Cronenberg’s style all that really makes it special.
***1/2 out of four

[DeadFlagBlues]

Great review (as always), Dracula.

[Dracula]

Great review (as always), Dracula.

thanks