Eastern Promises

[D_N_G]

Spoiler free review:



Im really glad the "old battle axe" changed her mind at the last minute and decided to watch this instead of the flavor of the week RE sequel.

Its a great take on an "organization" that does not get a lot of movie exposure and has some brilliantly cast actors especially Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl).

Viggo Mortensen is absolutely badass, if you liked his performance in A History of Violence, this trumps it hands down. His accent is a little shaky at a few points, but the attitude makes up for it and more.


This movie makes you believe in the characters and their background which is subtly done with the smallest mannerisms of the individual actors. EP has some great cronenberg visuals with wonderful coloring, placement and relation. Some of the shots of fruit and food are used so extremely well with certain scenes that it actually provides foreshadowing and plot intent.


Eastern Promises also includes a shocking, bloody mess of tremendous gore scenes. I was laughing the whole time as my wife had a death grip on my arm and an elderly couple in the row in front of us continued to throw their hands over each others eyes .


To top it off, it has one of the most raw fight scenes I've ever witnessed.

The setup and realization of this specific melee is very intense and due to some "circumstances" , which a remarkably similar word also could describe the scene circumcised (you will understand when you see it) It will probably be one of the most memorable altercations you will ever see.



Like most movies, some parts hinge on coincidence. These situations in EP are done very well to move the plot along and dont seem to out of place. They are easily forgiven as the original story and once again amazing acting will blow you away.

In the end, what you suspect the situation is, it really turns out to be....but cronenberg directs it so well that instead of feeling letdown by a plot twist, you actually go back to think about the things that have happened and how dedicated people are and how difficult life can be.



A+, my favorite movie so far this year






http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765443/

The mysterious and charismatic Russian-born Nikolai Luzhin (Viggo Mortensen) is a driver for one of London’s most notorious organized crime families of Eastern European origin. The family itself is part of the Vory V Zakone criminal brotherhood. Headed by Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl), whose courtly charm as the welcoming proprietor of the plush Trans-Siberian restaurant impeccably masks a cold and brutal core, the family’s fortunes are tested by Semyon’s volatile son and enforcer, Kirill (Vincent Cassel), who is more tightly bound to Nikolai than to his own father. But Nikolai’s carefully maintained existence is jarred once he crosses paths at Christmastime with Anna Khitrova (Naomi Watts), a midwife at a North London hospital. Anna is deeply affected by the desperate situation of a young teenager who dies while giving birth to a baby. Anna resolves to try to trace the baby’s lineage and relatives. The girl’s personal diary also survives her; it is written in Russian, and Anna seeks answers in it. Anna’s mother Helen (Sinéad Cusack) does not discourage her, but Anna’s irascible Russian-born uncle Stepan (Jerzy Skolimowski) urges caution. He is right to do so; by delving into the diary, Anna has accidentally unleashed the full fury of the Vory. With Semyon and Kirill closing ranks and Anna pressing her inquiries, Nikolai unexpectedly finds his loyalties divided. The family tightens its grip on him; who can, or should, he trust? Several lives – including his own – hang in the balance as a harrowing chain of murder, deceit, and retribution reverberates through the darkest corners of both the family and London itself.

[B-Ri]

I will put this on my list and get back to you on what i think of it, hopefully by this weekend (got a lot of tests and projects to turn in this week)

[Doc Holliday]

I saw this last night. With all the Cronhateorade in the Screen Shot thread, and having only seen History of Violence, I was expecting a an average movie with some good action sequences, instead I saw a great crime film with one of the most brutal action sequences!!

Style was it's strongest point. The acting was great, but maybe could have been better, maybe not though due to the style, I'll have to watch it again to see what I may have missed. The story was it's weekest point, but even that was good, it was certainly an original take on the mob story with insight more on the average life getting mixed into it. It's just that nothing really jumped out at me to give it a 5.

With that said. I agree with the A- A+ posts (in the Cinemania thread). Good flick. Go see it.

If Viggo posted here I'd give him rep.

[arjue]

Shit, thats an awesome cast. Color me very excited. Hopefully this gets released here soon.

[MarkRyan]

Just saw it today with my girlfriend. Could've used one extra pair of men's underpants, but I enjoyed the movie nonetheless. The best part by far is Viggo's character. The ending is a bit abrupt and disappointing.

I didn't like History of Violence at all (seriously don't get that shit--I thought it was a pretty bad movie with decent fights) but I did like Eastern Promises. It's worth watching for Viggo's character alone.

[Frogacuda]

I thought the script was merely descent, but Cronenberg's intense and suspenseful direction and Viggo's performance brought it home. I know it's not a career first but it's odd that Cronenberg is working more on other people's scripts and not writing any more. HoV's script only felt Cronenbergy because Josh felt the need to work in some of those themes after he found out Cronenberg was attached.

[kingoffighters]

Nice review, I am going to see this asap.