Eastern Promises (imdb)
Organized crime tends to be an interesting topic of discussion, and it lends itself to immersive cinema quite readily. From the mafia to the yakuza, gangster portrayals in cinema are not rare. This time around, David Cronenberg tackles the Russian mob.
While I wasn’t particularly fond of Cronenberg’s A History of Violence, I greatly enjoyed Eastern Promises. The movie constantly engaged me and had a great “feel.” While its story moves the flick along, the feel of the movie is in large part due to superb acting and Cronenberg’s direction rather than an involving narrative.
Viggo Mortensen plays Nikolai, the driver for a Russian crime family. While I’m no expert of Russian personalities, Mortensen’s acting is very strong as he researched his role heavily. Naomi Watts does a good job as Anna, a hospital midwife caught up with the mob, and other cast members do equally fine work.
Eastern Promises, like A History of Violence, excels in shocking violence that uneases the viewer. Cronenberg creates a stern and dreary tone surrounding the Russian mobsters, and the heavy use of knives (no guns are seen in this movie) adds tension to the dark underworld. The film will make you flinch and possibly shudder, but at the same time you’ll be drawn into the gangster family.
It’s difficult for me to articulate the goods of Eastern Promises. It’s not really all about the story - but the experience. The movie embodies organized crime, and with great acting and direction, Eastern Promises becomes a ride not worth missing.
4 star tattoos out of 5
September 27th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
“It’s not really all about the story - but the experience”
I totally agree. There’s a mood to Cronenberg’s films that is hard to articulate and I find that it’s even more prominent in his two latest films.
February 24th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
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