EASTERN PROMISES DELIVERSWow... another gift from director David Cronenberg since THE HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Well shot, slick movie which centers around the Russian mob in London, based on real life characters and events. Naomi Watts is Anna, a midwife working at a local hospital who attends to a young mother who dies, leaving a sweet baby girl alone in the world. Anna finds the girl's diary and asks her uncle to translate in hopes of finding the mother's family to give the baby before being sent to foster. She comes across a card for a restaurant and visits hoping to gather any information about the girl. There she encounters the owner, Semyon (strong performance by Armin Mueller-Stahl) who turns out to be less friendly as he seems. He is a cultured and charming man who just happens to be the head of the family business. His oafish, rumored homosexual son Kirill (Vincent Cassel) is unwise and irresponsible and his father knows it. Kirill's "right hand man" Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) has his head about him and takes care of cleaning up after his son, so he is brought into the family. It is another movie grasping for the same eternal quest of good versus evil; but what happens when the lines blur? Can evil be 
used for good? This movie offers many questions and almost no answers. Each actor carried their own load and the pay off is a strong, well presented film. HOWEVER, Mortensen is SO very good in this film because you forget who he is as an actor. He IS a Russian mobster. He is unassuming and quiet while also projecting this don't-mess-with-me aura. Watching an interview with him in the special features portion of the DVD he comes off as a real guy from the Bronx, kinda goofy and not outstanding in any way. But if you don't notice during the full-frontal bathhouse scene or during the "interview" scene with him clad only in his underwear, this man is ripped. His muscles have muscles. Even with his clothes on, he has an air of sophistication and self-assurance that Viggo doesn't at least, seem to have (not like I know). While everyone had a dead-on performance in this film, Viggo stands out. Typical David Cronenberg movie, the ending sucks. It offers vague answers, but nothing clear cut and new questions arise. That being said, this is a fantastic film and worth the watch.
used for good? This movie offers many questions and almost no answers. Each actor carried their own load and the pay off is a strong, well presented film. HOWEVER, Mortensen is SO very good in this film because you forget who he is as an actor. He IS a Russian mobster. He is unassuming and quiet while also projecting this don't-mess-with-me aura. Watching an interview with him in the special features portion of the DVD he comes off as a real guy from the Bronx, kinda goofy and not outstanding in any way. But if you don't notice during the full-frontal bathhouse scene or during the "interview" scene with him clad only in his underwear, this man is ripped. His muscles have muscles. Even with his clothes on, he has an air of sophistication and self-assurance that Viggo doesn't at least, seem to have (not like I know). While everyone had a dead-on performance in this film, Viggo stands out. Typical David Cronenberg movie, the ending sucks. It offers vague answers, but nothing clear cut and new questions arise. That being said, this is a fantastic film and worth the watch. Rating: Solidly performed and expertly directed, a very well done film worth watching twice.
